Mikhalok and Volski are the brands of the year

The musicians from the black list became the brand-persons of 2012.

The award ceremony took place in the National Library on 25 January, BelaPAN reports.

“I have not seen any black lists, but I am aware of the problems. By this decision we show that there is no censorship in the Brand of The Year competition, nothing is bought here and the jury memebrs are independent people who have their own opinion”, - the executive director of the advertising agency Smart Group Ogilvy Belarus Aliaksandr Kulinkovich stated and promised to pass the awards to Siarhei Mikhalok and Liavon Volski. He also asked journalists not to confuse him with the singer of the Neuro Dubel band.

Among the winners in the Brand-person nomination are also the director general of Milavitsa Dzmitry Dzichkkouski, the head of the EPAM Systems company Arkadz Dobkin, writers Natalia Batrakova and Andrei Zhvaleuski, sportsmen Aliaksandra Herasimenia, Liudmila Vouchak, Maksim Mirny and Viktoryia Azaranka, artists Anatol Yarmolenka, Larysa Grybaliova, Uladzimir Puhach, Yadzviha Paplauskaya and Aliaksandr Tsikhanovich.

For the first time in 12 years of the competition a nomination “Brand-leader in social networks” was introduced. The winners in the nomination are the trademarks Bulbash (alcohol beverages), Mercedes-Benz (automobiles and automobile centers), Shparki Damavik (communication services, internet), Velcom (mobile communication operators), MTBank (banks and banking services), tut.by (online media), Milavitsa (clothing), Falcone (restaurants and cafes), Onega (chips).

Most of the winners are in the consumer nomination – over forty. Among them there are Elema (women outwear), Svitanak (children clothing), Marko (footwear), Adidas (sportswear), Savushkin Product (dairy products), Minsk Cristal (vodka), Belita (cosmetics), Atlant (refrigerators and washing machines)  

The competition’s grand prix in the professional nomination was awarded to Yalina, in the nomination “Socially responsible brand” – Mobile Telecommunication Systems.

We would remind that Siarhei Mikhalok cannot come to Belarus because of the threat of prosecution.

In October 2011 he was called to the Minsk Central district prosecutor’s office. The investigators informed him that they were carrying out an inspection of the musician’s statement addressed to Aliaksandr Lukashenka, in which he rigidly criticized Belarus’ ruler.