Pop-Propaganda: How The Kremlin Markets Its War Like Disney and Coca-Cola

Join the MIC Center for a colloquium on Russian propaganda in the digital age with journalist and political analyst Andrew Ryvkin.
About this Event

This talk examines a powerful subset of Russian propaganda, one that operates less as a “ministry of truth” and more as a media conglomerate — using influencers, streaming platforms, video games, and ad agencies to sell Putin, repression, and the war in Ukraine to audiences accustomed to TikTok, viral campaigns, and urban streetwear. Mr. Ryvkin will examine how this model has evolved into a streamlined industry and why it is far more sophisticated — and dangerous — than conventional propaganda produced by other authoritarian governments.

Mr. Ryvkin will explore the parallels between classic marketing and modern Russian propaganda: a goal set by the ideology sector of the Russian presidential administration becomes a creative brief executed by an influencer marketing agency; the military-industrial complex uses streamers, TikTok, and Minecraft to recruit workers; a Kremlin-owned, vertically integrated media company produces pro-war television alongside prestige entertainment from HBO. This talk will also look at one of the first instances of experiential marketing by a state actor. The presentation draws on case studies from some of the most cutting-edge campaigns in contemporary Russian propaganda, as well as Mr. Ryvkin’s own experience working inside the system.