Putin's United Russia releases racy campaign ad: (VIDEO)

GlobalPost

They say sex sells, but can it buy some votes too?

As Russia’s election comes closer, campaign ads are hitting the airwaves, and Vladimir Putin’s United Russia party is feeling the heat for their latest racy ad.

The advertisement, which screams Axe Body Spray rather than ‘Vote!’ features two young voters getting it on in an election booth before they head out and drop their ballots into a box together.

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The brunette, clad in a short dress and heels at a voting site, catches the eye of a male voter, grabs him by the neck and pulls him into the booth. All with a techno beat bouncing in the background.

As the advertisement ends, and you’re likely itching to go to a rave party rather than the election booth, the slogan, “Let’s do it together,” is displayed on the screen in Russian, the Guardian reported.

Of course, United Russia has come under fire for this ad. But not for the sexual content we all can’t help but notice. Gennady Gudkov, an influential Duma deputy, said he is asking prosecutors to investigate the ad because it violates the constitution, the Guardian reported.

Like you were told as a kid, “Get your mind out of the gutter!” Gudkov points out this ad shows two people in a voting booth simultaneously, which is against Russia’s law. "According to the law, a person who drops their ballot in the box must be in the booth completely alone."

"United Russia has forgotten that voting in Russia is meant to be secret," said Gudkov to a Russian newspaper, the Guardian reported.

Recently, United Russia’s popularity has taken a steep downturn, and this advertisement looks like they’re trying to get a rise out of web-savvy voters, the Daily Mail pointed out. According to a Levada Centre poll released on Tuesday, 51 percent of respondents said they planned to vote for United Russia, as opposed to the 60 percent from a week earlier, the Guardian reported.

This also isn’t United Russia’s first time tip-toeing on the line between smart marketing and offensive. In July a group of Russian women, calling themselves ‘Putin’s Army,’ launched a competition called, “I’ll tear [my clothes off] for Putin,” the Daily Mail reported. The video was uploaded to the blog of parliamentarian Kirill Shchitov.

This latest ad definitely raises eyebrows, and while it is suggestive-- the female voter’s messy hair after opening the curtain says it all-- is United Russia crossing a line here? Or is acceptable since they are desperately trying to reach their younger, internet-using audience? Watch the ad and decide for yourself.

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