A Mockumental PR Campaign

Hollywood knows PR. Agents promote actors. Studios and producers promote movies. Celebrities promote themselves and their most recent endeavors. But what happens when the Hollywood PR machine offends a foreign nation?

Kazakhstan, a former Soviet republic located in central Asia, is the unwilling star of the new movie, or “mockumentary,” from Sacha Baron Cohen. Cohen, a British comic and variety show creator of Da Ali G Show, has parlayed one of his regular sketch characters, Borat Sagdiyev, a fake TV presenter and self-proclaimed 'sixth most famous man in Kazakhstan', into a full-length movie. This movie, Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan, debuted at the Toronto Film Festival earlier in the month.

Infuriated by a demeaning portrayal of customs, culture and peoples, Kazakh officials have launched a PR campaign to amend their image. Two Western PR firms are helping promote a positive image of Kazakhstan’s “sweeping reforms” and “civil society.” Prints ads have appeared in the NY Times and a new television commercial touts Kazakhstan as a “strong ally of the United States” and a nation that “voluntarily eliminated its nuclear weapons.” I have yet to see the print ad, but the TV spot leaves much to be desired – envision outdated, still pictures from an 8th grade history book with a bland voiceover. Most likely not the high-powered communications campaign needed to affect change. This example illustrates PR being used for two purposes: 1) promote a new product, and 2) correct false or negative information.

Sacha Cohen and his new movie benefit the most from the present PR flurry. Kazakh officials may increase interest in their nation, educate a few American or gain added press coverage with their campaign, but in the end late night talk shows and entertainment editors will drive the Hollywood PR machine toward Borak’s silver screen debut in November.
Wyatt