JUNE 16, 2022|GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
How a Ukrainian “Babushka” Became An Unlikely Russian Propaganda Icon
Propaganda is deceitful, emotional and highly effective. It's why all governments use it.
The most recent propaganda icon for the Russian government is an elderly Ukrainian woman nicknamed “Babushka Z”, whose story went viral after a video of her holding a red Soviet flag during a mistaken encounter with Ukrainian soldiers. Russian authorities featured her as an example of a Ukrainian still loyal to Russia. The truth isn't quite so simple, as a team of reporters from BBC learned after tracking her down and interviewing her. The true story is one of mistaken intention, memories from WWII and manipulation.
Altogether, it's a fascinating read and a perfect example of why propaganda is so effective ... and why we must always be vigilant about calling it out when we see it.
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How It All Started
A Short Backstory Of This Blog
This is a blog about non-obvious ideas. Originally launched on the Typepad platform in 2005 as the Influential Marketing blog, the stories at first focused mainly on digital marketing while Rohit worked at Ogilvy Advertising. In 2015 Rohit officially rebranded to the Non-Obvious Insights Blog and published his WSJ bestseller Non-Obvious. For the past twenty one years, this blog has coined new terms, introduced future marketing practices and inspired the next generation of non-obvious thinkers and marketers.
