Lithuanians are justly proud of their 701-year-old capital city and loathe the squalid legacy of the Soviet occupation. A new tourism commercial promoting Vilnius stamps on those feelings. It starts by featuring grotesque scenes, including run-down wooden buildings on potholed streets, sleazy and menacing locals, and food consisting mostly of potatoes and pickles. A mannered English voice praising these gruesome sights provides a mocking backdrop. In the second minute of the film, the “real” Vilnius, with its spectacular baroque architecture, up-market shops, gourmet cuisine, and sizzling nightlife, makes a welcome, if brief, appearance. The campaign also includes posters that highlight similar contrasts, with the slogan “Expectations vs. Reality.”
Starting this week, the advertisements’ initial target is German and British audiences. They are already kicking up a storm at home, from residents and PR experts who say the campaign is insulting and likely to backfire.
I am tempted to sympathize. Surely one of Europe’s greatest cities deserves more than this Disneyfied travesty of past and present? I remember all too vividly the humiliations and frustrations of life in the early 1990s and feel unsettled by its depiction. I have repeatedly criticized the Borat films for their unfunny treatment of Kazakhstan as the supposed epitome of ex-communist bigotry and ignorance. Using Africa as the butt of such patronizing humor (think Tintin in the Congo) went deservedly out of fashion many decades ago. Reviving, even playfully, an idea of “Eastern Europe” that should be consigned to the history books seems a step backward.
But in this case, the Lithuanians themselves are writing the script, and the real joke is on those who still harbor clichés. The Go Vilnius tourism office deserves bouquets, not brickbats. One reason is that controversy attracts what you need as a small country: attention. A previous promotion, launched in 2018 and still running, was called the “G-Spot of Europe.” It enticed visitors to Vilnius with the tagline, “Nobody knows where it is, but when you find it—it’s amazing.” This was launched on World Orgasm Day (August 8th, if you didn’t know) and just before a papal visit. The campaign attracted plenty of criticism at home: crass, ill-timed, embarrassing. But it prompted a segment on the US comedy show “Last Week Tonight”: publicity worth millions.
Another reason to praise the latest effort is that it provides some important historical context. Visitors with no memory of the Soviet era (most of them, these days) may not always realize the creativity and determination involved in restoring past glories and creating modern delights. A whiff of the past makes the present smell sweeter.
The bigger question for all the frontline states, from the Baltic to the Black Sea, is how to portray their security predicament. NATO has brought unparalleled security, but the Russian menace is growing and palpable. “Visit us while you still can” may attract thrill-seekers, but sounds offputtingly pessimistic.
I worked and studied in West Berlin in the 1980s. A lightly garrisoned Western outpost in a threatening neighborhood, it was indefensible militarily. In the event of war, we were all doomed. But in the meantime, why not party? The taste of freedom was all the more savory given the contrast with Soviet-occupied “East” Germany. It helped pull in tourists, including US presidents John F Kennedy (“Ich bin ein Berliner”) and Ronald Reagan (“Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall.”
This offers a partial model for Lithuania and other countries in Russia’s shadow. They can offer visitors the usual modern comforts and conveniences, plus history ranging from the grim to the glorious, topped with an unmissable dose of geopolitical sizzle. Book now.
Edward Lucas is a Non-resident Senior Fellow and Senior Adviser at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).
Europe’s Edge is CEPA’s online journal covering critical topics on the foreign policy docket across Europe and North America. All opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the position or views of the institutions they represent or the Center for European Policy Analysis.
