It was then that the company started building its factories at places where American soldiers were fighting; providing a 5-cent bottle of Coca-Cola to each American soldier became the patriotic duty of the company. To be “Bulgarian” is already a matter of everyday self-evidence about which one does not ask; this is part of common sense that is never put under question. Sofia: the Marin Drinov Academic Publishing House (in Bulgarian). You’ll also find a growing number of English-language books sold by used book vendors across the city. Douglas Holt, analyzing not separate advertisements but “brands”, argues for an even stronger thesis, namely that national myths have a central role in the creation of these brands.32 Thus, we can outline a circle of cultural production in which the national myth helps invent a “brand’; the constant advertising of the products of this brand, starts to function as cultural material through which to incessantly imagine, reinterpret and support national mythology.33.

Nevertheless, even back then, advertising played with patriotism to capitalize on “the concern in Bulgarian society about the rapid invasion of western goods” (Ilchev 1995: 171). It is instead related to the nature of consumption, which aims not at transcending the present,40 but at creating reasons for positive choice today.

Sofia doesn’t have an Old Town (which we actually find charming about the city, as there’s no one place for tourists to get trapped in!)

Please. To demonstrate this process concretely, one must narrate the social history of advertising. The design of machines as natural or mythical objects: recall the Singer sewing machines with their curved bodies, wrought iron vines forming the pedal and the table, and the leaves and roses on the wooden panel; another version of design popular in the nineteenth century loads the construction with animals, fantastic creatures and fairies.

Meanwhile, just as some Europeans may resent that their jobs have moved to China, Chinese workers may soon feel distressed that they are losing manufacturing jobs to laborers in foreign countries, including those in some parts of Europe. Thank goodness! In short, ads reaffirm local specificities because companies have interest in looking local rather than transnational. While likely not made in Bulgaria, it is still a souvenir many people can’t imagine leaving without. Douglas, M. and B. Isherwood 1996. See: Ilchev, I. Seemingly, this was a loss for the company. An abbreviated version of this article was published in Kultura 22 Feb 2007. Matchbox diecast cars. This definition continues the tradition of Geertz. Some of the most common and useful Bulgarian pottery items you’ll find include earthenware pots painted beautifully and perfect for serving some hearty Balkan food. I found these adorably retro pieces of kitchenware at a secondhand shop in Plovdiv’s Old Town, but you can find reused kitchen items all over Bulgaria.