MOSCOW, Jul 17 (Reuters) - An online campaign has been
launched in Russia urging young women to support Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin in a presidential vote by taking off their
clothes, a lawmaker's site showed on Sunday.
Called "Putin's Army", it features a video of a blonde
student called Diana who struts along Moscow's streets in high
heels and a black suit before scrawling "I will tear my clothes
off for Putin" on a white top in red lipstick and starting to
undo her clothes.
Inviting girls to strip off for Putin for the chance of
winning an iPad2, the campaign comes ahead of the March 2012
presidential vote. Putin was president between 2000-2008 before
handing the reins to his protege Dmitry Medvedev.
Widely seen as Russia's key decision-maker, Putin may return
to the Kremlin next year.
"The goal: For Putin to be president!" said a statement on
its page on social networking site vkontakte.ru/armiaputina,
Russia's answer to Facebook.
During Russia's Soviet era, nudity in advertising was taboo
but has since become widespread, a fact which has outraged
Russian feminists who say it only intensifies an already
sexualised culture where prostitution is common.
It is unclear who orchestrated the campaign which
was posted on the blog of parliamentarian Kirill Shchitov, from
Putin's ruling United Russia party.
In October, a band of journalism students posed in lingerie
for a calendar for Putin's 58th birthday.
(Reporting by Amie Ferris-Rotman; Editing by Sophie Hares)
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