Graham H. Roberts teaches Russian Studies and International Business at the University of Nanterre (Paris Ouest). He is a member of the CECILLE research centre at the University of Lille 3, and an associate member of the REGARDS research centre at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne

Introduction 1. From Red Square to Nike Town: Re-enchanting the retail experience 1.1. Introduction: The curious tale of the giant steamer trunk in the night 1.2. Retailing in Russia, 1885-1991: From enchantment to disenchantment 1.3. Case Studies i) The re-enchantment of retailing in post-Soviet Russia: Privatisation and the arrival of the pre-fabricated kiosk ii) The politics of fast food in the new Russia: From Big Macs to pineapple milk shakes iii) Space invaders: The arrival of IKEA iv) 'Pleasure domes with parking': The rise of the mall v) The Russian sex shop market and the branding of Tochka-G 1.4. Conclusion 2. From Superman to the Invisible Man: Imagining the male body in contemporary Russian advertising 2.1. Introduction 2.2. Masculinity in Contemporary Russian Culture 2.3. Masculinity in/and Advertising. 2.4. Key Assumptions and Methodology 2.5. Case Studies i) Back to the (Soviet) future: The Dodge Caliber and the cult of the male body ii) On 'Russian Ice' with Sylvester Stallone iii) From abject to subject: Tinkoff's 'Zooom' alcopop and a story of everyday heroism iv) Men's grooming products and the return of the 'real' man: Nivea for Men, the Philips body-hair trimmer and Gillette's Pro Fusion Glide razor v) The 'First Time' with Putin or the lad(y) vanishes 2.6. Conclusion: From superman to the invisible man 3. The Politics of Packaging in Post-Socialist Russia: Labels, Logos, Locations 3.1. Introduction 3.2. Packaging: From shelf space to ideoscape 3.3. FMCG Packaging in Russia 3.4. Moscow and Myth, Moscow as Myth: Past, present and future 3.5. Representations of Moscow on Russian Chocolate Packaging 3.6: Discussion 4. The Final Frontier: Brands and Branding on Social Media in the New Russia 4.1. Introduction: Social Media, Brand Communities and Value Co-creation 4.2. Case Studies: i) Siberian Crown's 'Map of Russian Pride' on Facebook: Collective memories, imaginary geographies, brand identity ii) Levi's on Vkontakte: Branding's final frontier? Afterword, or the Cautionary Tale of Diana, Lada, Myusya - and Vlad

As shopping has been transformed from a chore into a major source of hedonistic pleasure, a specifically Russian consumer culture has begun to emerge that is unlike any other. This book examines the many different facets of consumption in today's Russia, including retailing, advertising and social networking. Throughout, emphasis is placed on the inherently visual - not to say spectacular - nature both of consumption generally, and of Russian consumer culture in particular.
Particular attention is paid to the ways in which brands, both Russian and foreign, construct categories of identity in order to claim legitimacy for themselves. What emerges is a fascinating picture of how consumer culture is being reinvented in Russia today, in a society which has one, nostalgic eye turned towards the past, and the other, utopian eye, set firmly on the future.
Borrowing concepts from both marketing and cultural studies, the approach throughout is interdisciplinary, and will be of considerable interest, to researchers, students and practitioners wishing to gain invaluable insights into one of the most lucrative, and exciting, of today's emerging markets.