BBC Covers Pashinyan's Video Popularity

The BBC's Russian service has published an article addressing Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's recent rise in popularity through music-backed videos.

The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, has begun to share videos where he silently listens to music ranging from Zemfira to Adele, John Lennon, and Vysotsky as well as DDT. Previously, a video shot to Zemfira's song "ПММЛ" garnered 16 million views on Instagram and became a meme. Thousands of users on TikTok have shared their own imitations, while businesses have utilized it for advertising.

Prime Minister Pashinyan's press secretary Nazeli Baghdasaryan denied reports suggesting that the New York-based Edelman agency, one of the world's largest PR firms, is behind this strategy. According to her, the concept and the choice of music belong to Pashinyan himself, while the media team of the Prime Minister's office handles all the work.

The information was also denied by a spokesperson for the American reputable company who stated that Edelman does not work for the Prime Minister of Armenia and is not associated with his social media accounts. The publication mentions that individuals unrelated to Armenia have subscribed to Pashinyan's Instagram page.

The video clip for the Kazakhstan song Aua Rai, made during the Prime Minister's visit to Astana, received more coverage in local media than the agenda of the visit itself.