In October 2023, a video allegedly shot in the United States was encouraged in social networks. Vicks advertising appeared on a huge screen on Broadway, where a person who looks like the president of Ukraine sniffs something and then explodes. We checked whether this record is real.
The distributed video lasts only 12 seconds. In the video shown on the captured screen, a computer image of a man with the coat of arms of Ukraine on his shoulder is presented. One of the most popular signatures says: “Vicks launched an advertisement for a nose spray in New York. The character, very similar to Zelensky, sniffs all the space around him, and then explodes colorfully. The slogan of advertising: "Helps to increase the capabilities of your nose!" " The authors of some publications believe that in this way advertisers Tagged President of Ukraine, Fleaning His alleged addiction to drugs, which the policy is sequentially attributed by Russian officials, the media and pro -government bloggers.
Similar posts have gained popularity in Telegram channels, among which "Uncle Glory"(220,000 views at the time of writing this analysis), Voblya (171 000), "Ivan Utenkov"(123,000),"Forbidden"(78 000),"Russia 2.0"(76 000),"Release Kraken!"(75 000),"Notes of Zhirinovsky"(53,000),"Nikita Mikhalkov in Telegram"(27,000),"Honestly | News"(25,000),"Antifses | Operational news channel"(21,000),"Denacification UA"(19,000),"Anton Shabashov"(17,000) and"[Z] Kremlin's hand"(16,000). Among the media and news sites on viral advertising they wrote "Tsargrad" And "ZOV Kherson". In addition, the video can be found on VKontakte (examples here, here And here), X (former Twitter; here, here And here), "Zen", As well as on the site"YaPlakal".
“Verified” confirms that the video shows New York. We found that the screen captured on the record located In the very center of the city on Times Square-at the intersection of the 45th street and Broadway. Moreover, the video was definitely created recently. So, if you look at this location in Google Street View, then the facade of the buildings on the panorama of the street, shot in August 2022, will be slightly different from how it looks in a viral video.
Operator of a viral video Mediabillboard - Silvercast Media. In its Instagram*-account on August 18, 2023 Published Video with a presentation of a new modern screen called The Monsta. It was on this 3D banner that advertising with Zelensky was supposedly demonstrated. “Verified” requested a comment from the co -founder of Silvercast Gary Grossman, but at the time of publication this analysis did not receive an answer.
Now as for the advertiser. Vicks is real existing A brand of over -the -counter drugs belonging to Procter & Gamble and Helen of Troy Ltd. Among products Vicks there are those that, according to the manufacturer, help to fight the symptoms of a cold. However, there is no similar advertising with Zelensky on the official site Vicks, not in his social networks: X, Facebook*, Instagram And YouTube. Moreover, according to the search for Google, in English, the slogan presented on the screen (Helping Your Nose to Boost Its Capabilites) Found Only once - on forum With the discussion of the viral video. "Verified" wrote to the service with the brand customers. The representative of Vicks said that she had not heard about such an advertisement before receiving our message, and promised to share new information if such a thing appears.
In addition to the fact that there are no traces of such advertising on the brand’s resources, other details testify to the fake character of the viral video. For example, on the official website of Times Square It is saidthat the billboard occupies the dominant position in the quarter and is located several meters over lively pedestrian zones, daily attracting the attention of millions of visitors. Despite this, there is only one recording of resonance advertising on the network. Moreover, about this case, supposedly what happened in the center of New York, Not written Not a single American media.
The likely source of the fake is the Telegram channel "Ne. Sahar", Which is" tested "before dozens of times Catch on the spread of fakes and other types of misinformation. At least, we could not find earlier publications on keywords. In "Ne. Sahar", a fake video appeared on October 9, 2023 at 12:11 Moscow time and received more than 333,000 views.
Falsification of advertisements on such billboards has been practiced by the creators of pro -Russian fakes since the end of 2022. So, in November 2022, as well May, June And September 2023 several other fake videos appeared, also allegedly shot in New York (including Times Square), and in July 2023 in a similar fake Used Video from Tokyo. Narrative The fact that the Ukrainian president is drug addict is also popular in the pro -Russian Internet segment and is often supported by fabricated Videos And another disinformation. For example, in recent months appeared A whole wave of video features of celebrities who allegedly asked Zelensky to go to rehab.
*Russian authorities They think Meta Platforms Inc., which owns social networks Instagram and Facebook, an extremist organization, its activities in Russia are prohibited.
Photo on the cover: social networks
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