Hollywood stars hawking products in Russian ads

The World

Story from PRI’s The World. Listen above to the full audio report.

The American relationship with Russia has seen its ups and downs since the Cold War ended two decades ago.

Where it stands right now depends on who you ask. But in at least one respect, the Russians can get enough of Americans: in their advertisements.

On billboards, on televisions and in other formats, Hollywood stars are peddling all manngers of goods to eager Russian consumers.

Take Bruce Willis, who is representing a bank. Or Sylvester Stallone, who’s selling vodka. That’s right. An American is selling vodka. To Russians. Such is the power of Hollywood celebrity, even in Russia.

Take a look at the examples below. Do you have a favorte celebrity-including ad be it in Russia or American or wherever you might be? Post it in the comments below. 

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PRI’s “The World” is a one-hour, weekday radio news magazine offering a mix of news, features, interviews, and music from around the globe. “The World” is a co-production of the BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Boston. More about The World.

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