Comparative analysis of precedent phenomena in social advertising of Russia and China: refraction of social realities (based on the example of demographic issues)

The study is conducted within the framework of a linguocultural approach, with the main focus on precedent phenomena functioning in social advertising in Russia and China. The research centers on precedent names, texts, and situations activated in the advertising messages of the two countries, their role in transmitting significant values, and shaping public consciousness. Special attention is given to how precedent phenomena refract contemporary social reality, reflect national cultural codes, historical memory, and the value orientations of society. As a comparative analysis aspect, the demographic issue is chosen – one of the most pressing social problems facing Russia and China in the 2020-2030s. The material for the study consists of texts of social advertising (television commercials, outdoor advertising, internet publications), selected by a comprehensive sampling method from open sources over the period from 1993 to 2026. This approach allows not only the identification of typological similarities and differences in the use of precedent phenomena in the two linguocultural traditions but also tracking their evolution in connection with changes in the socio-political context. The research is based on the theory of precedent phenomena by Yu. N. Karaulov, V. V. Krasnykh, and D. B. Gudkov. Methods of linguocultural, comparative, and discourse analysis are applied. The empirical base consists of texts of social advertising from Russia and China (comprehensive sampling from open sources). The demographic issue is chosen as a prism for analysis due to its relevance for both countries. The main conclusions of the conducted research are as follows: A systematic comparative analysis of precedent phenomena in social advertising in Russia and China is undertaken. As the analysis of the scientific literature shows, there are no studies specifically dedicated to this problem. It has been established that Russian social advertising primarily appeals to precedent names from classical literature, historical events, and folk paremology, while Chinese advertising uses state political slogans and collective symbols. Moreover, both countries have shifted from a discourse on birth control to a discourse on stimulation (in the demographic sphere). A significant difference is seen in tactical techniques and emotional tone, and the research illustrates the limited functioning of precedent phenomena if they do not resonate with the real socio-economic experience of the target audience.