09:49, Monday 20 Dec., 2004 Link

The opposition campaign in Ukraine is being aided by American branding and mass marketing expertise, and revolution consultants from Belgrade known as the Centre for Non-Violent Resistance: They emerged from the anti-Milosevic student movement, Otpor, meaning resistance. The catchy, single-word branding is important. In Georgia last year, the parallel student movement was Khmara. In Belarus, it was Zubr. In Ukraine, it is Pora, meaning high time. Otpor also had a potent, simple slogan that appeared everywhere in Serbia in 2000 - the two words "gotov je", meaning "he's finished", a reference to Milosevic. A logo of a black-and-white clenched fist completed the masterful marketing. In Ukraine, the equivalent is a ticking clock, also signalling that the Kuchma regime's days are numbered.

The Guardian: US campaign behind the turmoil in Kiev.