My first piece for my portfolio. I created a Telegram channel called «By Beloslava.» In the channel, I wanted to publish news and share my thoughts, so the first post is dedicated to this idea.
ADVERTISEMENT OR CRUELTY?
• A scandal has erupted in the beauty industry. The center of the storm is Anastasia Mironova, a fitness blogger and the creator of the brands IRNBY and Predubezhdai. Her advertising campaigns frequently feature an unusual presentation style that draws public criticism. But this time, her ideas went beyond mere «originality.»
• What happened? To promote a new hair mist called Okkult, the brand released a promotional carousel on social media. Among the images was a photograph of a small grave adorned with artificial flowers. Followers immediately guessed that this was the burial of a pet.
• Audience Reaction The internet exploded. The post gathered countless angry comments. Anastasia Mironova was accused of trying to «profit» from someone else’s grief—of staging «dancing on graves.» Subscribers massed to unfollow and demanded the cancellation of both Anastasia and her products. Comments under the promotional carousel read:
«Someone else’s grief is not a cute aesthetic to sell a spray.»
«Those who have never lost loved ones joke about death.»
«A spray with a cemetery scent? That’s brutal. That’s beyond horror, not creativity.»
• Response from Mironova
Anastasia did not delete the photos, nor did she issue a public apology. She stated:«The brand was created by me as an archive of memories that I carefully keep. This includes 'shared, ' collective memories—memories painfully familiar to everyone. Each person experiences personal losses within their own emotional spectrum, and mine is like that,» she said.• Reaction from Ekaterina Mizulina
The conflict went beyond the beauty industry. The news reached the head of the Safe Internet League. Ekaterina Mizulina accused the advertisers of cynicism, called the brand a «little-known brand, ” and hinted at tax audits.„According to subscribers, the bloggers who posted the advertisements also sell marathons on social media. This raises the question—is their tax compliance as solid as their dubious content generation? Or are they resorting to the schemes of info-gurus like Lerchek and Blinovskaya? We will pose this question to the appropriate authorities,“ wrote the head of the SIB.• Conclusion
Sensational news stories are good, as long as they do not offend people’s feelings or attract the attention of regulatory bodies. The price of such content can be the loss not only of reputation but also of business.
I chose this topic because it allows us to examine where the line between creativity and the violation of ethical norms lies in marketing.
