European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 19, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday May 19, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 9 soviets get a glance at american to ads Moscow a Madison Avenue spoke to the socialist masses tuesday night Wilh soviet to showing commercials that featured bottles or Pepsi cola popping their lops to the rift of Rock music. Sony to sets and visa credit aids also lashed across the screens to millions of viewers during the Laic evening premiere of a five part series on life to the United states. They were the first paid commercial on staid slate run soviet to and they came in Advance of president Reagan s visit to Moscow this month. Each company had one  on the Hou Loni program which featured commentator Vladimir Posner interviewing a panel of americans in Seattle about life in the United states. The ads broke clumsily without explanation into the show titled Posner in  Pepsi s and showed i group of Young people looking for a Way to open several bottles of Pepsi a drink that has been available in the soviet Union for almost 30 year. When no bottle opener appeared a red headed guitarist pops them open with a Lone rift from hit guitar and the screen proclaimed in rus Sian the new generation chooses Pepsi. Sony and visa go their Chance around Midnight Moscow Lime about five minutes before the pro cram ended. Visa showed athletes preparing for the summer olympics in Seoul South Korea and told viewers its credit card was Good in any country in the world. Sony promoted the Quality of its electronics products. Bui Sony electronics products and visa car Daren t available 10 uie average soviet consumer. I expect we might gel Tome angry letters from people urine Why Are you advertising Sony tvs when we can t buy any " Posner bad said at a news conference earlier this month announcing Hli series. The colourful fast paced commercials Contrail sharply with most programming on soviet television. Two of Pepsi s commercials to be shown during the week feature pop mar Michael Jackson Well known to soviet youth from music videos shown occasion ally on to in the soviet Union and recordings that circulate unofficially. One commercial has Jackson dancing and singing his hit song  another ends with a shot of , and soviet lags accompanied by Pepsi labels in rus Sian and English. Posner said the commercials Aren t being shown on soviet to for consumer sales at least not right away we on our pan can make some Money out of hit which in our Day and age when we Are becom ing economically sell supportive and self sufficient also makes sense Posner said. Interest in America it particularly High among so Viets since Reagan arrives May 29 for a Summit conference with Kremlin chief Mikhail s. Gorba Chev. In the West commercials try to get Consumers to buy one company s product Over � competitors Birt. In the soviet Union there s no need 10 stimulate demand because consumer goods Are in Short Supply Posner said. Officials refused to disclose How much Money advertisers were paying for air Lime but reports in the United Stales said the soviet broadcast Agency gos Tel radio received $ 10,000 for each 30-second and. Certainly ii s not Competition. It s More establishing an image said Edward Wierzbowski vice president of global american television inc., a company based in Colrain mass., that deals in american soviet television productions. Soviet to already features infrequent Home made commercials advertising shoes Short wave radial and personal stereos Bill the products they pitch Aren t always available. Posner who frequently appears � a soviet spokesman on . Television said the purpose of soviet produced commercials an More informing than pushing a  Baker asks trading partners to Speed reforms Paris