Tacky sells...
The blurred lines between patriotism and profiteering in Ukraine
What is the right way to commemorate a war when it is still being fought? Many victories, tragedies and acts of defiance have already been depicted in Ukrainian books, films and art. Popular subjects include the liberation of Snake Island, the defence of the Azovstal plant, the horrors of the Bucha massacre, a woman offering sunflower seeds to an occupying Russian soldier so they can grow when he dies, and the sinking of the
Moskva warship.
However, it doesn’t take much to blur the lines between patriotism and profiteering. Anything with a military logo sells. Military–patriotic themes are being used to flog all sorts of products. War symbols have been slapped on socks, flip flops, vodka labels, designer clothes, sweets and even sex shops. Ukrainians are keen to buy from local sellers who promise to share profits with the army.
In Kyiv you can get ‘heroic Bucha Kombucha with citrus flavour’, ‘Azovstal’ radish seeds and ‘Ukrainian rage’ onion bulbs. There are ‘Heroes don’t die’ beer and coffee cups bearing the face of an assassinated Ukrainian soldier. One restaurant offers ‘Chornobaivka’ steaks, named after an occupied village in Kherson Oblast which Ukrainian forces shelled so much that, the joke went, Russians fried there.
War symbols have been slapped on socks, flip flops, vodka labels, clothes, sweets and even sex shops
There seem to be no limits to these attempts to demonstrate patriotism or to profit from it. ‘You don’t need such a neighbour,’ reads a dentistry advert in Lviv, depicting crooked wisdom teeth painted in the colours of the Russian flag. ‘We returned Kherson; now return the pleasant smell,’ says a banner selling deodorant for sweaty feet.
Even the most patriotic Ukrainians see all this as excessive. Soldiers complain that such marketing ploys devalue what they are going through. Selling drinks named after Bucha (the previously occupied city where hundreds of massacred bodies were found) is not so far away from using My Lai as a brand name.
The government is trying to crack down on the profiteering. Last month, a group of Ukrainian MPs submitted a draft law which would control commercial advertising and marketing using wartime themes. If the law passes through Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, the use of war-related branding, including any references to massacres, hostilities, names of weapons and military slogans (including ‘Glory to Ukraine’), would be banned. No penalty has yet been agreed and exceptions will be made for the promotion of films or books about the invasion.
The problem with the bill is that many businesses are genuinely motivated by helping the war effort. Tens of millions of pounds have already been donated to the army from Ukraine’s private sector. Yes, some of the advertising might be coarse (‘Laser hair removal to strengthen the army!’ shrieks one ad, the idea being that 10 per cent of the proceeds go to soldiers and volunteers), but if the government goes ahead and sets these restrictions on companies, their bottom lines may be affected and so therefore will their contributions to the war effort.
A possible compromise could be to require businesses to report the profits they donate to the army, given that it’s currently anyone’s guess which companies stick to their donation pledges. Or perhaps there could be a system of licensing so that those who wish to use patriotic slogans must seek approval, though whether a wartime government would have time for such relative trivialities is another question. Where, also, to draw the line? Boxer shorts are on sale which feature the coat of arms of Ukraine – the trident of Volodymyr the Great – over the crotch. They are tasteless, certainly, but not explicitly to do with the war. Moreover, Ukraine’s law already forbids using or imitating the trident and the state flag in advertising, but nobody seems to care about it now. So even if new restrictions are to be implemented, the patriotic branding is unlikely to end.
Ukrainian society is divided between those fighting the war in the trenches and those who are feeling guilty for not doing so. Those living in the relative peace provided by the defenders understandably want to do what they can to help, even if it’s something small like buying things from companies that donate to the front line. If the bill does become law, it probably won’t stop Ukrainians continuing to shop for victory.
The blurred lines between patriotism and profiteering in Ukraine
