In our four year absence from Ukraine, we knew there would be a number of changes in
this country. When were were here last, in 2004, we noticed a great push to embrace western advertising and technology. Ukraine seems to be in a maddening rush to emulate the economies and culture of the west. Kipp and I have noted some examples of this..
We have observed more new car dealerships and newer cars on the roads - even here in Mariupol. Television advertising features car ads from American, European, and Japanese car companies.
We have noticed advertising everywhere! Driving into Kiev, huge advertisements were strewn down the sides of 30 story apartment buildings. If you think the number of billboards are bad in America, visit Ukraine. They are spaced every few hundred yards as you drive down the highway. In Mariupol the advertising is more colorful and technologically up to date. They now have jumbo-tron bill boards featuring the latest fashion stores and other goods and services.
One thing that has really caught my eye (probably thanks to Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University Class) is the marketing of debt in this culture. Even though our television gives us only Russian speaking channels, we can figure out there is easy financing being offered. 0% financing for “x” number of months is seen at the end of commercials for various goods. That’s the western way, isn’t it?
Mariupol now has a Target store. It looks brand new. When we drove by it on Thursday night, I observed that not all of the property owners around the store were willing to sell out to the corporate giant. In a fenced out area around the parking lot, there remains a single family dwelling that must be many years old. It really looks odd in the backdrop of the shiny new store.
As Ukraine continues to embrace the glittering Western culture, those in its society will find that all that glitters is not gold.