09.49, Monday 20 Dec 2004

The opposition campaign in Ukraine is being aided by American branding and mass marketing expertise, and revolution consultants from Belgrade known as the Centre for Non-Violent Resistance: They emerged from the anti-Milosevic student movement, Otpor, meaning resistance. The catchy, single-word branding is important. In Georgia last year, the parallel student movement was Khmara. In Belarus, it was Zubr. In Ukraine, it is Pora, meaning high time. Otpor also had a potent, simple slogan that appeared everywhere in Serbia in 2000 - the two words "gotov je", meaning "he's finished", a reference to Milosevic. A logo of a black-and-white clenched fist completed the masterful marketing. In Ukraine, the equivalent is a ticking clock, also signalling that the Kuchma regime's days are numbered.

The Guardian: US campaign behind the turmoil in Kiev.

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