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And you still haven't got back to me

about my new deal.

I know. I know.

Misha discovered his talent

for marketing

shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union.

Communism was over.

But capitalism had only just begun.

The forbidden brands of the West

became available 24/7

in thousands of newly born kiosks.

Misha was working at one of those kiosks,

having just completed

his university history degree.

There, he learned

the three basic rules of marketing.

He advised the owner to specialize

in selling vodka only.

Sales doubled.

Misha suggested hanging bright yellow signs

above the kiosks

announcing vodka only.

Sales increased 12 times.

The owner bought himself

a used Mercedes S320.

But when Misha asked for a raise,

he was fired on the spot.

He had learned the third rule:

Get paid up front,

because no one believes in marketing.

Enterprising young Misha

abandoned his career

as an unskilled laborer

and opened

his own advertising agency,

Mikhail Galkin Global Marketing,

with funds borrowed from an old family friend,

Yuri Nikolaivich.

That was the first time Misha

appealed to God for help.

i. I'm Bob Gibbons.

Bob agreed to bail Misha out of debt

and to hire him in Bob's

soon-to-be opened

American-Russian

advertising agency.

There was just one catch.

Sorry. I...

I don't quite understand this. What...

What are you, a spy?

You want me to become a spy, too?

I'm not a spy.

I'm a historian.

Would you do me a favor, please?

Would you just calm down?

Just relax and listen, Misha.

Misha?

I'm a real Madison Avenue ad man,

I do a little work with US A.l.D,

which sometimes works with

other organizations

that shall remain nameless.

Listen, you guys are starting up

a democracy over here.

But democracy isn't just about

switching governments,

it's about... it's about business.

It's about advertising.

It's about Coke versus Pepsi.

Now, we will start

a serious advertising agency,

and we will make a lot of money.

The client list is going to be

the new political candidates,

the business elite,

movie producers,

and all you have to do...

is keep your eyes and ears

trained on them and report.

Report what?

Whatever you see.

Whatever you hear.

That's it.

- Poor bastard.

- That's my investor.

Yeah.

You're going to be needing

a new investor.

Picture it, Misha.

Your new job is just...

spreading the principles

of freedom and democracy.

And so began Misha's career

as a marketer-spy.

Over the next 15 years,

he designed the first Russian campaigns

for a host of western brands,

like the now-famous slogan for The Burger:

"The Taste of Freedom"

and he furnished Bob

with reports on his clients.

And because of you

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