According to experts, at least a million labor migrants - "guest workers" are constantly in Moscow, and every tenth newborn born in the capital appears in a family where at least one of the parents is a foreigner. Therefore, the problem of the attitude of indigenous people to visitors from abroad is very relevant for this metropolis.
In order to somehow resist the formation of a negative image of labor migrants, the Moscow authorities decided to use social advertising more widely. The City Department of Mass Media and Advertising has ordered the creation of several dozen short videos about Moscow in general and about foreigners in this metropolis in particular. The content of 15 clips should be aimed at "preventing extremism, religious and racial intolerance."
According to representatives of the department, the idea is for foreigners to tell in short half-minute plots about a noteworthy place in the capital or about personal memories associated with this city. "A small story, touching and sincere", which should end with a personal address of the clip's hero in his native language. It is assumed that it will be an expression of love for Moscow and an invitation to compatriots to visit the capital of Russia.
The mayor's office says that the ordered video production will become part of the Safe City program, designed for the period from 2012 to 2016. Part of the videos in this series should talk about how friendly a multinational metropolis can be. Although it is planned to show the new social advertising only on TV channels in the Moscow region, it is only partially addressed to Muscovites. According to Maya Lomidze, director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, it would be more expedient to show videos of foreigners' appeal to potential tourists. And Nikolai Kurdyumov, chairman of the Labor Migration Alliance, believes that any social advertisement that forms a positive image of migrants will be useful. Especially if the videos will display real, not far-fetched stories about guest workers, their families and the benefits these people bring to a multimillion city.
