Polish Blog A daily dose of Polish life

The Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw is the tallest building in Poland, the seventh tallest building in the European Union, and the world’s 187th tallest building. The building was originally known as the Joseph Stalin Palace of Culture and Science, but in the wake of destalinization the dedication was revoked.

As the city’s most visible landmark, the building was controversial from its inception. Many Poles initially hated the building because they considered it to be a symbol of Soviet domination, and at least some of that negative feeling persists until today. Some have also argued that, regardless of its political connotations, the building destroyed the aesthetic balance of the old city and imposed dissonance with other buildings. However, over time, and especially in recent years, Warsaw has acquired a number of other skyscrapers of comparable height, so that the Palace now fits somewhat more harmoniously into the city skyline. Furthermore, since Soviet domination over Poland ended in 1989, the negative symbolism of the building has much diminished.

Those in the UK may of noticed more and more supermarkets and local stores stocking Polish food, Tesco for example often have a Polish section, especially in the larger towns/cities where you can get Polish branded gherkins, juice, soup etc.

I’ve also noticed more bars in the UK stocking Polish beer, it’s quite amusing to hear an English native try and ask for a Zywiec or a Tyskie.

One of the most popular juice brands in Poland is Tymbark which has some great flavours like Apple and Mint (goes very nicely with Zubrowka!) and Apple and Cherry, they also own the Kubus and Lubella brands among others. Tymbark is actually the name of a town about 75km from Krakow, a fruit and vegetable co-operative was established there in 1936 which was eventually developed into the business Tymbark is today.

Tymbark are now beginning to target Poles in the UK with the announcement of an outdoor advertising campaign in conjunction with Clear Channel outdoor who have put out this press release:

London – 5 September 2008. The leading Polish food manufacturer – Maspex Wadowice Group – has booked its first outdoor campaign to advertise its Tymbark brand and target the 1 million plus Poles currently living in the UK.

Maspex Wadowice Group is the market leader in the production of juices, nectars and soft drinks in Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia and a main player in Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania. Its strongest brands are: Tymbark, Kubu?, Ekland, Puchatek, DecoMorreno, Cremona, LaFesta and Lubella.

Polish foods are now the fastest growing ethnic food category in the UK and through Clear Channel Outdoor’s Ethnic Audience Solution, Maspex is able to engage directly with its Polish target audience where they live and work.

Areas of high polish national concentration in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool have been identified by Clear Channel Outdoor’s Campaign Planning team, as well as outdoor sites in proximity to Asda stores which stock Maspex produce.

Other advertisers who have successfully used Clear Channel Outdoor’s Ethnic Audience solution include: DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs), Grace Kennedy Foods, Muslim Aid, Gerber Foods, Western Union, Moneygram and Rubicon Exotic Drinks.

In the UK 3.5 million people fall under an ethnic category and as part of Clear Channel Outdoor’s Audience Solutions approach, more than 10,000 panels nationwide have been identified to enable advertisers to distinguish and target specific groups in their local environment.

Richard Bon, Head of Support and Planning at Clear Channel Outdoor, concludes: “Our Ethnic targeting forms part of our wider Audience Solutions strategy which was extended in February this year. Whether an advertiser is looking to target niche consumer groups or broadcast a brand message across the country, we can use our extensive suite of planning tools and flexible inventory, to offer Audience Solutions based on the principles of, Foundation, Environment and Lifestyle, as well as bespoke campaigns for clients.”

One rather nice touch with Tymbark bottles is the messages they put on each ringpull, kind of similar to a Chinese fortune cookie.

Now those who have been to a Polish Wedding will know the procedure… lots of vodka, beetroot soup and about 11 other courses and then some embarrasing dancing to some old village songs. So how do our Russian friends do it?  Well, just like this…

A new dance craze has hit Poland! It goes something like stagger forward, stagger back, stagger forward.

This guy seems to of mastered it, look out for it in a town/village near you!

This guy couldn’t quite get the hang of it:

I used to dream of living in a big palace. Manicured lawns, Fountains, Winding staircases and me razzing around in a golf cart wearing a white suit and a panama hat. Something a bit like Colonel Sanders but less old and less disabled.

I’ve done a bit of research and you can easily pick up a Palace in Poland for the price of a 1 bedroom apartment in London. I might not be able to afford to refurbish it but who cares… I live in a palace!

This palace in Zielona Gora was built in year 1681, at the end of XVIII century was reconstructed and enlarged by an outbuilding with octagonal tower situated from south side.

Price: Just 350,000 Euros

Polish film posters are known by connoisseurs for their originality in graphic design, use of color, and subject matter. Unlike American and Western European film posters, photographs are rarely used. Instead, Polish film distributors commissioned well-known graphic artists to design works that would catch the eye of pedestrians on the street. It was a not unwelcome outlet – and a rare source of income – for talented artists.

Apocalypse Now

Harry And The Hendersons

Raiders Of The Lost Ark

Return Of The Pink Panther

Rosemarys Baby

The Empire Strikes Back

The Fly

Tootsie

Poland has seen some diverse weather in the past few months, especially in Southern Poland (close to Czestochowa) which has seen a couple of bad tornados. Some pictures: