VTB's 'This is Classic' Campaign Boosts Russian Literature Readership
A new advertising campaign, inspired by Russian classics, has sparked a surge in interest in the literary works that inspired it. VTB's 'this is classic' image campaign, launched in September 2024, has seen a significant increase in readership of the works it references.
The campaign, which produces ads showing alternative, 'happy' endings to famous Russian literary plots, has drawn attention from prominent filmmakers. Klim Shipenko, Sarik Andreasyan, and Igor Grinyakin are among the directors involved in the project. The latest ad, inspired by Gogol's 'The Inspector General,' was released on television screens in September 2025.
The campaign's impact is evident in the increased readership of the referenced works. 'Woe from Wit' by Alexander Griboedov saw a 33% increase in interest, while 'The Twelve Chairs' by Ilf and Petrov experienced a 27% rise. Even 'Obломov' by Ivan Goncharov and 'Crime and Punishment' by Fyodor Dostoevsky, which are not directly referenced in the campaign, saw significant increases in readership, with 80% and 69% more users deciding to read them respectively compared to the previous year.
VTB's 'this is classic' campaign has not only brought a fresh perspective to Russian literature but has also encouraged more people to engage with these timeless works. The campaign's unique approach to advertising, involving prominent filmmakers and inspired by Russian classics, has proven successful in sparking interest in the literary works it references.
