The Soviet Union Embraced Branding and Advertising

One of the most impactful first lines in fiction is found in George Orwell’s 1984, “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” That is jarring and grabs attention. I recently reread this dystopian novel and cautionary tale. Themes are rampant throughout. Totalitarianism and repression take away every citizen’s self-expression and identity largely through propaganda and manipulation of language and thought. The result is a culture of fear and control.

So yeah, it’s not a fun read but it makes you think and after my last read, I imagined a world without branding and advertising. I was so intrigued by this idea; I tried writing a short story that brought the premise to life in the style of Orwell. I intended to build a world absent of directional signs, no building names, products without names and advertising while commercials and billboards would not exist.

Orwell’s novel captured the environment of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. Published in 1949, it also predicted how the latter would function in the coming decades.

The concept proved challenging to write but I may return to it one day. What the exercise confirmed is, it is impossible to cleanse the world of marketing. We assign descriptors and names as shorthand, sorting devices. We build brands to differentiate and stand out. We advertise to reinforce messages of luxury, quality, utility, and fulfilment. We also communicate the negative by describing poor products and experiences.

The closest the world ever got to a society and culture devoid of marketing was the Soviet Union. The USSR still conjures up bland, grey, cement-laden, monolithic imagery. Mention this past empire and you may picture people lining up for food, assigned bleak apartments, and statues of Lenin and Stalin. Yet, the USSR or CCCP was a brand.

It had a stark, largely bloody red flag with three symbols. The hammer and sickle meant to communicate manufacturing and agriculture but were aggressive and intimidating. They suggested each and every citizen would take one up in conflict with foreign enemies. The flag originally featured a sword, but Vladimir Lenin objected, disliking the militaristic connotations. The third graphic was a star. It appeared on trains, airplanes, warships and was immediately associated with the Soviet Union’s willingness to build a society and war machine never to be challenged. The aesthetics of the Soviet Union deserve attention. Both it and the Nazi swastika symbolized tyranny and fear.

The hammer symbolised urban industrial workers while the sickle represented agricultural workers (peasants) who together, as the Proletarian class, form the state. The red star represents the Communist Party and was deliberately place over “the people”.

Interestingly, much what defined America, defined the Soviet Union. The Space Race, every summer and winter Olympics, and the Cold War told anyone with half a brain what each stood for. America embraced self-promotion to communicate a righteous leadership position in the world’s standings. The American brand was powered by overwhelming advertising both through commercialism and the trumpeting of democracy. Outwardly, the Soviet Union refused to adopt marketing while fully utilizing state-driven propaganda. Such distinctions are grey and narrow. All forms of communication exist to connect and influence.

Every May 1st, the Soviet Union communicated to its people and the world, its military might. The May Day parade showcased tanks to intercontinental ballistic missiles. Banners, uniforms, and marching formations created an intimidating tableau.

Branded shirts for women workers (1950's).

By 1967, the parade had fully embraced branding with reinforcing messaging and visuals.

This banner from the 1981 parade reads, “Our motto is high-quality work”, which sounds much like “Qualty is Job One”.

Throughout the year, public areas in cities and towns were plastered with propaganda posters touting accomplishments and suggesting that citizens should be grateful to Mother Russia and the greater union. Thousands of designs were used through the roughly seven decades the Soviet Union existed.

This poster from 1923 takes a shot at Western capitalism.

“We smite the lazy workers,” says this 1931 propaganda poster.

“The skill of rural athletes is higher!” Such posters, like this one from 1956, emphasizing exercise and athleticism were rampant. Some resorted to body shaming which was interesting given most men in the Politburo were hefty to large.

Stores and markets were rather bleak and retail outlets often ran out of goods. It is interesting to see that there was product branding and several Soviet brands competed on the world stage.

Simple advertising for cigarettes (tobacco) and a movie billboard.

No prices or promotional materials in this department store.

Stark window displays are still a form of advertising.

Quite colorful packaging rivaling Procter & Gamble and Unilever.

Throughout its time, the Soviet Union promoted tourism with varying results. This magazine advert is from 1937.

“Enjoy the on-board food & drinks service!”. An Aeroflot advertisement poster from 1961.

Tourism poster for Odessa, Ukraine from 1936.

Looking quite Western in aesthetic. The Lada brand appeared in 1973. Renault took control of the brand in 2016.

Clearly there was marketing and advertising in the Soviet Union, but it was significantly different from capitalist countries. Advertising was not driven by competition between businesses, as the economy was centrally planned and state-controlled. There was no need for competitive advertising to attract customers, as products and services were allocated according to the government’s plans.

Much of what could be considered advertising in the Soviet Union was actually propaganda. The government used posters, radio, television, and newspapers to promote socialist values, political messages, and the achievements of the state. There was some advertising for consumer goods, but it was more about informing citizens about the availability of products rather than persuading them to choose one product over another.

Overall, while there was marketing and advertising in the Soviet Union, it served different purposes and was shaped by the unique political and economic context of the country. As Fran Lebowitz observed, “In the Soviet Union, capitalism triumphed over communism. In this country (America), capitalism triumphed over democracy.”