Pop Tetris

From Outer Space

Difficult to believe. This is a Marshrutka (private mini buses running in all Russian cities for an average price of 20 RUR - alternative when there is no metro or tramways in your area - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshrutka), advertising a beer brand. You can trust the driver, he will take you home safely.

On the other hand, they were communicating their summer promotion on the possibility to win a trip to the cosmos. Everything is said, now, you just have to pray.

(Dirrty Frank, head in the cosmos today)

Iron Woman

You'll never see a lot of billboards on the walls of the metro platforms (I don't talk about the escalators that are full of media placements). But when you do, be sure you'll meet some incredible super hero. Apparently, she can even fly.

(Photo: Dirrty Frank, completely washed out today)

Kinder Bono

The Irish singer is always using the same recipes. There is a white side, a dark side and there is also a surprise at some point.

The white part is obviously the music, hymns of our golden age, our generation anthems, the show which illuminated Moscow's raining sky tonight, the intensity of the emotion (I was always wondering how they did with so average drummer and bass player). A great band in action. A fantastic show. A must-live experience.

The dark side is that wish to go for show-off charity at some point that we don't really understand if it's not about self-marketing. A show full of great intentions but delivered in a shiny way, in an entertaining way. Certainly the new way to deliver important messages. The debate is open. I'm not sure in Russia it worked so well. The reactions of the audience was so-so on the speeches (even translated on the big screens).

And obviously the surprise. Bono delighted us with Salman Rushdie or with the Mothers of the Disappeared in Chile in 1998. But apparently he was not very clear about his position for Russia (perhaps, coming for the first time here, he was not properly briefed). How to mix in the same concert some greatings for President Medvedev, which whom he spent some time in Soki yesterday (dixit Bono), underlined the presence of Gorbatchov in the audience, sung some Bob Marley and showed the Human Rights in a country that is struggling to feel the equality of chance and finally performing with Yuri Schevchuk, famous rock star that is standing against the government since 20 years (quite famous for his tough discussion with Poutine few weeks ago). What Bono wants to play with? This amalgam and this superficial knowledge of the country is not really responsible for a guy that wants to be perceived as important as the politicians and decision-makers of this world. Provocator or ambassador, you need to choose. This is really strange and I feel a bit disapointed even after spending such a nice moment.

Some say that rock'n'roll will save the world. I believe in it. But not tonight...

(Photo: Dirrty Frank and Julia)

'Beautiful' Day

Mafia Taxi

Few days ago, I took a taxi that brought me back in times, moreover that made me feel old-fashion cool guy. As you can see on the pictures, it was a Volga (Soviet car for officials for the Party - still a lot in Moscow), black curtain all around the back seats (no visibility for possible snipers) and DVD player running sexy videos ('The world is mine'). 45 minutes of outdated power. Deserved clearly 500 RUR.

(Photos: Dirrty Frank, 'just talk to me nicely by now, man')

Summer Russian Classic

Laetitia for Free

Do you think that Laetitia Casta is remunerated to appear in that shop advertisement for copies, photos, letters, cropping... I'm sure she is not?

(Photos: Dirrty Frank, giving his image for free if needed)

Russian Van Damme

Underground Culture

No time to go and investigate for cultural events, no worries. In Moscow, the culture comes to you, until your lovely metro where you can find legally some tickets to any kind of concerts or plays. The choice is really large. You can find for musicals, theatres, operas, concerts and so on. And the nice thing is to see those guys coming in the morning or leaving in the night with their big advertising panels in their hands. Cultural and physical obviously.

(Photos: Dirrty Frank who never bought to them, poshy prick)

20 Years After

20 years ago exactly, Viktor Tsoï died in a car accident - officially he felt asleep. Just a story among millions of daily drama. The only difference is that Tsoï was the iconic singer of Kino, a soviet rock band, that was ruling music over here in the 80's. A whole generation became orphan as he was guiding the young generation through one of the most difficult transitions of the country with his poetry and his charisma.

Everybody is talking about that today - already 20 years. A concert is organized for that - well, in October, you know, in Russia, even dead people are late. The wall, dedicated to him near Old Rabat street (see photos taken few months ago), gathered thousands of fans and bottles of vodka. He was the last music hero of that country. Not difficult when you see what we see on TV nowadays. Something went wrong in the music industry in Russia. Really wrong...

(Photos: Dirrty Frank, discovering also that legendary band)

Pepsi Moscow Beach

The Wedding Planner

If I was a wedding planner, I would surely recommend Moscow for the best day of your life. Especially this summer. With a bit of smoke if you're lucky, in a dusty gigantic limo in 40°, with hot Soviet champagne coming with sure headache and drunk best men from 10am. And look to that lovely couple in an advertising from Moscow Government. Isn't it nice? 'Love lives here' for sure.

(Photos: Dirrty Frank, not motivated so far)

New It Boy

Between Reality and Poetry

Comparing what is said, what is speculated, what is criticised, what is suffered...Actually, everybody is living the catastrophe through their own eyes. If you have a look to the reality, near the fires, it may look like that http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/08/russian_wildfires.html. But if you live in Moscow, my friends and I saw some amazing things that explain the frivolous attitude of the moscovites (even in a catastrophic situation): people wearing a mask in an air-conditioned car, senior people having a beer outside the metro asking you for a lighter, stopped cars spitting gaz emissions with children playing behind, people having dinner on terrasse...

Still, worth having a look to that very nice video - a love hymn to the smoked city of Moscow.

Street Marketing

First time that discipline deserves so well its name. This year, a new media appeared in Moscow (well, you've got to find some other solutions as everything is already quite busy). Just as simple as tagging the pavement. Not a bad idea at the moment when you see barely your feet in the smoke.

But as always, a simple idea got completely crazy and everybody wanted to draw its fingerprints everywhere: brands for youth, little shops around the corner, announcement of concerts and events (as the tag is permanent, few of them seems quite outdated), navigation path to find restaurants, websites...and even companies proposing professional tagging for your brand. The situation became ridiculous with not less than 20 tags at each metro exit.

I'm sure Moscow will find something to go to the next level for next year. And in the winter, perhaps, we can paint the snow (if somebody feels interested, I can sell the patent).

(Photos: Dirrty Frank, one step after another)

Silent Hill

It's in the Bag

Far from Carrie Bradshaw's show that any people would imagine in the upscale streets of Moscow, there is another trend going on, much stronger and touching the majority of the population. This is all about the plastic bag. Easy, seasonal, premium, even chic.

You can't imagine how far the people go to chose or to handle the right plastic bag to look a bit posh. Of course, it's not always on purpose. When you buy something in the streets or in the tunnels, you have to buy the wrapping bag. And then, it's a collection of different styles flashing to your eyes: famous brands, colorful flowers, travelling style, foreign names with a lot of mistakes, poetry in French that does not mean anything...All of them convey something about you. And I can tell you, in Moscow, it's bloody important.

(Photos: Dirrty Frank, trying to sell some Fnac bags for 3 euros)

War Games

Few days ago, Russia was celebrating the Defenders of the Motherland...like every year actually. No comments. Just pics.

(Photos collected by Pierre Emmanuel)

Moscovite Resident Evil

That's terrible. Villages are burning all around Moscow, forests are devastated, Moscow is drown in a wave of smoke that creates a dull video-game environment. 2012 will occur in 2011? And of course, Russian people try to handle with jokes (playing with fairy tales or with one of the most famous TV news host). As usual.

(Photos: Dirrty Frank, gorilla in the mist)

Me-Too Sub Products

Russia is a mistery for that. Most of the ideas are stolen from other countries, but contrary to China for example, to talk about it is really a tabu. That's quite ridiculous when you think that globalization of ideas sharing make everything easier to track, some people here are still thinking they're protected by a kinda curtain (no historical mention here) that would allow them to imitate without any shame. I've already shown you that nice homage-video clip

http://brisonslaglace.blogspot.com/2010/05/homage-or-bad-copy.html. This is another one that is quite obvious. Yes, this clip made some buzz but far to be a best-in-class production. Even more if you remove the 'happening' that was generated at that time.

And then, we can talk about many other things like Vkontakte.ru/Facebook, series like Scrubs or Desperate Housewives (see photos), some food chains like Pret a Manger/Prime Star or some numerous local me-too products. To be fair, we can't say that Russian people lack of imagination (all the contrary) but they hate risks. That's why they prefer to develop something that was done successfully somewhere else than to invest in the unknown

(Photos: Dirrty Frank, the one and only...so far)