???€?µ?????‹?±???€???°?? ?????????°: electoral race
This presidential race sure is exciting. The suspense is killing me. In fact, I got so caught up with the race that I forgot to rate the campaign slogans and posters.
Ratings methodology: Get into car to do errands around town. Get stuck in traffic jams. Stare out the window at campaign billboards.
Ratings criteria: Do the ads convey the essence of the candidate and his platform? Can you recall them five minutes after you've seen them? Do they make you want to vote for the guy?
Summary conclusion: A weirder batch of campaign ads is hard to imagine.
The award for the most grammatically challenged slogans goes to Vladimir Zhirinovsky. One black billboard reads: ?–???€???????????????? ???»?? ?±?????µ?‚ ?…???¶?µ (Zhirinovsky or it will be worse). Another white billboard reads: ?–???€???????????????? ?? ?±?????µ?‚ ?»???‡???µ (Zhirinovsky and it will be better). No comma, no verb, no grammar as we know it. On the other hand, you get the message — even if it is a bit short on detail.
The award for the strongest visuals goes to Gennady Zyuganov. In one retro-style poster, the candidate stands in shirtsleeves in front of a montage of a Kremlin tower and the Monument to Minin and Pozharsky. Blue skies, white clouds and a red banner evoke both the Russian tricolor and the symbol of communism. One sheet of a Soviet-era calendar has the Communist Party emblem, and another shows March 4 as a red-letter day. The simple slogan, ?’?‹?±???€?°?µ?? ?—?????°???????° (We're voting for Zyuganov), is next to a checked election ballot box. The whole package is out of a Soviet propaganda textbook — perfectly on target for his core electorate but totally out of touch with everyone else.
Mikhail Prokhorov's campaign slogans win the award for understated style — understated to the point of obscurity. One is: ???€?µ?±?????‚?µ ?±???»?????µ????! (Demand more!) More what? From whom? And then there's: ???€???…???€???? — ???°?? ???€?µ?·?????µ???‚ (Prokhorov — our president). OK, but is he everyone's president?
Another Prokhorov slogan, ???????‹?? ???€?µ?·?????µ???‚ — ???????°?? ? ?????????? (A new president — a new Russia), conveys, albeit obliquely, the need for change. And ?????€?°???»???‚??, ?° ???µ ?†?°?€???‚???????°?‚?? (Lead, don't reign) implies, I guess, a different approach to governance and muted criticism of the current regime. Too bad the whole campaign is like a dissident Soviet-era play: You have to read between the lines to get the message.
The award for most illusory ads goes to Sergei Mironov. If they exist in Moscow, I didn't see them. Nor do they appear to be on his website, which shows a curious lack of brand consciousness. As far as I can tell, one slogan is: ?????€???????? — ?‡?µ???‚???‹?? ???‹?±???€! (Mironov — an honest choice!). Another seems to be: ???????? ?????»???? ???·???µ?????‚ ???‚?€?°????! (Your vote will change the country!). Is he kidding? Ten points off for a slogan that no one in his right mind believes.
Vladimir Putin's ads win the bland award. They're like a campaign for Mr. Nice of the Year. One billboard reads, ?’?»?°?????????€ ?????‚???? 2012 (Vladimir Putin 2012), with the tiny tagline: ???‡?°???‚???µ ???°?€?????? (Happiness for the people). Another is: ???»?‹???°?‚?? ?»?????µ??, ?€?°?±???‚?°?‚?? ???»?? ?»?????µ?? (Hear the people, work for the people). Only the slogan, ?’?µ?»???????? ???‚?€?°???µ — ?????»?????‹?? ?»?????µ?€ (A strong leader for a great country), conveys something of his leadership style and worldview. But what's with the poster, ?—?° ?????‚?????° ?? ?????‘ (For Putin and that's it)?
That's it?
Well, I guess that's it. End of conversation.
Michele A. Berdy, a Moscow-based translator and interpreter, is author of "The Russian Word's Worth" (Glas), a collection of her columns.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.