# Consumer choice in the Soviet bloc **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 7, 2013, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-choice-in-the-soviet-bloc/665555 "2013-08-07T03:44:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-choice-in-the-soviet-bloc/665555/1 "2013-08-07T03:44:09Z")
I recently found [this commercial](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5JgqVzNWEA) for Soviet TV sets. This stuns me because I always assumed there were no competing brands in the Soviet Union and therefore no need for advertising. How much competition between consumer brands, if any, was there in the USSR or other Soviet bloc countries? If there was competition, between what? Or I am missing some important piece of information here? ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-choice-in-the-soviet-bloc/665555/2 "2013-08-07T03:52:36Z")
from wiki: > **[Soviet Central Television | Advertising](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soviet_Central_Television#Advertising)** > > Advertising – in the form of "commercial" magazine programmes – appeared on Soviet television from the 1980s. However, the command economy had little or no competition between brands, so advertising was limited to informing viewers of the prices and availability of products. > With perestroika, spot advertising was introduced to CT USSR in order to better cover the system's cost. "Advertising - in the form of “commercial” magazine programmes - had appeared on the USSR television from the 1980s. However, in a command economy, there was little or no competition between brands, so advertising was limited to a form of reminding viewers what products were available. " ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-choice-in-the-soviet-bloc/665555/3 "2013-08-07T04:07:58Z")
Yeah, I’m thinking you need brand awareness even if you have no competitors. Or maybe - just guessing here - to promote the branded merchandise against other opportunities through grey or black markets. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-choice-in-the-soviet-bloc/665555/4 "2013-08-07T04:46:03Z")
> [@installLSC](#): > > I recently found [this commercial](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5JgqVzNWEA) for Soviet TV sets. This stuns me because I always assumed there were no competing brands in the Soviet Union and therefore no need for advertising. How much competition between consumer brands, if any, was there in the USSR or other Soviet bloc countries? If there was competition, between what? Or I am missing some important piece of information here? The choice isn’t between brands, it’s between having a TV and not having a TV. A fair amount of advertising in the U.S. is from a similar point of view – not touting superiority over competitors, but just inspiring demand for the product. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-choice-in-the-soviet-bloc/665555/5 "2013-08-07T06:45:01Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > The choice isn’t between brands, it’s between having a TV and not having a TV. But obviously, if they are watching this, the audience already _has_ a TV! I’m guessing that the commericial is not pushing a brand–it’s advertising a new model of TV: a smaller, portable one, that enables each person in the family to carry it and watch wherever they want. And apparently, in Russia, teenage kids like to sit _very,very_ close to their father when watching TV. (hmmm…what’s the father doing with his right hand at 0:49? ) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-choice-in-the-soviet-bloc/665555/6 "2013-08-07T07:18:03Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > But obviously, if they are watching this, the audience already _has_ a TV! > ) It was probably shown in cinemas to promote the idea of people having home tvs ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-choice-in-the-soviet-bloc/665555/7 "2013-08-07T09:34:59Z")
My marketing professor told us there was some kind of brand awareness among Soviet housewives. For canned fish, they all had the same labeling but the serial number denoting the factory of origin is stamped. Whether or not it’s true that the output of one factory was superior to others, housewives carefully scrutinized the serial numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-choice-in-the-soviet-bloc/665555/8 "2013-08-07T18:36:54Z")
But, comrade, how can you be satisfied with your 2004 19" color CRT television when you can get the new 2013 22" LED flatscreen tv? ---
**Author:** ![Blakeyrat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blakeyrat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blakeyrat)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-choice-in-the-soviet-bloc/665555/9 "2013-08-07T18:43:58Z")
Wow they were really ahead of the game with the in-car plug for the TV. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-choice-in-the-soviet-bloc/665555/10 "2013-08-07T19:13:23Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > The choice isn’t between brands, it’s between having a TV and not having a TV. A fair amount of advertising in the U.S. is from a similar point of view – not touting superiority over competitors, but just inspiring demand for the product. Yep! I think you’ve got it, Gary. ---
**Author:** ![pdunderhill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4bbf92/32.png) [@pdunderhill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pdunderhill)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-choice-in-the-soviet-bloc/665555/11 "2013-08-07T20:58:20Z")
Gosh, thank you for the OP’s link. I’m going to take a longer look at the minutiae of the ‘average’ soviet persons home. Reminds me of the Ideal Home exhibitions held in Earls Court in London in the 50’s. BTW is there a site that holds 1950/60s commercials/advertizing? Peter ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-choice-in-the-soviet-bloc/665555/12 "2013-08-07T23:05:56Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > My marketing professor told us there was some kind of brand awareness among Soviet housewives. For canned fish, they all had the same labeling but the serial number denoting the factory of origin is stamped. Whether or not it’s true that the output of one factory was superior to others, housewives carefully scrutinized the serial numbers. I heard something similar about manufacture dates; they were stamped on the product and you didn’t want to say buy an appliance that was made toward the end up the month when everyone was rushing to meet their quota. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-choice-in-the-soviet-bloc/665555/13 "2013-08-07T23:06:08Z")
One of the big problems with the Soviet economy was the disconnect between what factories made and what people actually wanted. Convincing people they want what you’re producing is the basic idea behind all advertising, but it’s even more important when the people who are deciding what to produce aren’t all that concerned about what people actually want in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-choice-in-the-soviet-bloc/665555/14 "2013-08-07T23:09:31Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > I heard something similar about manufacture dates; they were stamped on the product and you didn’t want to say buy an appliance that was made toward the end up the month when everyone was rushing to meet their quota. Actually, the way I heard it was that you didn’t want to buy something that was made right after the salaries were paid (which was, AFAIR, at the end of the month) because it was made by very drunk workers (well, drunker than usual). ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2013, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-choice-in-the-soviet-bloc/665555/15 "2013-08-07T23:36:02Z")
Years ago Adam Curtis made a doc about Gosplan ([excerpt here](http://youtu.be/o3g-djwLgyc)). Sure, it sucked, but not too much more than our economy based on everybody selling as much to each other as fast as we can; and the sparks from the resulting friction turning into breadcrumbs for everyone. But not as bad as the old jokes about “you can order steak over the phone and receive it over the television.” It was monstrously complex, and so the Soviets deserve more credit as early users of computer tech than we give them. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2013, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consumer-choice-in-the-soviet-bloc/665555/16 "2013-08-08T04:41:59Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > But obviously, if they are watching this, the audience already _has_ a TV! > > I’m guessing that the commericial is not pushing a brand–it’s advertising a new model of TV: a smaller, portable one, that enables each person in the family to carry it and watch wherever they want. > > And apparently, in Russia, teenage kids like to sit _very,very_ close to their father when watching TV. (hmmm…what’s the father doing with his right hand at 0:49? ) 🙂 Actually, if you don’t have a TV, it’s possible to go to someone else’s house and watch their TV.