Yogurt became a health craze in the U.S. after a 1970s ad campaign linked it to the long lives of Soviet villagers.

The rise of yogurt in the United States is largely attributed to the 1977 'Son of Russia' television commercial produced by the advertising agency Marsteller Inc. for Dannon. The campaign focused on the Abkhazian people in the Caucasus Mountains of Soviet Georgia. It featured 89-year-old Bagrat Tabaghua and his mother, who was purportedly 114 years old, both shown happily consuming yogurt.This marketing strategy capitalized on the 'longevity myth' of the region, which had been popularized by a 1971 article in National Geographic by Dr. Alexander Leaf. The ad was incredibly effective, leading to a significant spike in sales and shifting yogurt's image from a niche ethnic food to a mainstream health staple. At the time, the Soviet Union was often viewed with mystery, and the idea of a simple food being the secret to longevity fascinated the American public.However, subsequent anthropological research conducted by experts like Sula Benet and Zhores Medvedev revealed that the ages of these villagers were likely inflated for social and political reasons. Many residents lacked birth certificates and often assumed the identities of older siblings or parents to avoid military service or gain prestige. Despite the lack of scientific proof that yogurt was the sole cause of their long lives, the product's reputation as a superfood remained firmly established in Western culture.Today, the probiotics found in yogurt, such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, are recognized by the FDA for their digestive benefits. While the 1970s claims were exaggerated, the campaign remains a classic case study in how emotional storytelling can permanently alter national dietary habits. The U.S. yogurt market has since grown into a multi-billion dollar industry, largely thanks to those early televised images of active Soviet grandfathers.