Looks like LJ is actually trying to recruit new users again (and not just in Russia and other Eastern-European countries).
Here Here is a new video ad they put out recently:
I like this one. Playing up LJ's strengths is a good idea, and it DOES indeed have many strengths, especially compared to other social media sites. So I'm definitely happy to see them getting the word out, and I hope that this'll lead to a increase of users and activity on the site again.