Last but not least: World history becomes suitcase advertising
Mikhail Gorbachev, the last head of state of the Soviet Union, is modeling for Louis Vuitton. Star photographer Annie Leibovitz photographed the 76-year-old with a suitcase from the luxury brand in front of a section of the Berlin Wall. Is Gorbachev trying to teach his compatriots—some of whom are struggling financially—a lesson in capitalism?
Mikhail Gorbachev, the last head of state of the Soviet Union, is modeling for Louis Vuitton. The French lifestyle group commissioned star photographer Annie Leibovitz to photograph the 76-year-old with a Vuitton suitcase in front of a section of the Berlin Wall. It's quite a symbolic location for the former head of state and party: Gorbachev was instrumental in bringing down the Wall in 1989. "Gorbachev liked the idea of being remembered as the biggest player in the fall of the Wall," a Louis Vuitton press spokesman told Werben & Verkaufen.
Whether this is historically true - a few other players were also involved in the fall of the Berlin Wall - remains to be seen. In any case, it is understandable that Gorbachev would rather be remembered for his great deeds than have an eggplant ragout named after him, as happened to the current Russian president Vladimir Putin (see
).
Nevertheless, one may ask: What message exactly is Gorbachev sending here? Perhaps he wants to teach his partly mouse-poor countrymen a lesson in decent capitalism: The goal of our lives is no longer to sing the Internationale flawlessly, but to one day have a luxury suitcase under our arm.
Whether this is historically true - a few other players were also involved in the fall of the Berlin Wall - remains to be seen. In any case, it is understandable that Gorbachev would rather be remembered for his great deeds than have an eggplant ragout named after him, as happened to the current Russian president Vladimir Putin (see
).
Nevertheless, one may ask: What message exactly is Gorbachev sending here? Perhaps he wants to teach his partly mouse-poor countrymen a lesson in decent capitalism: The goal of our lives is no longer to sing the Internationale flawlessly, but to one day have a luxury suitcase under our arm.
