Lesson 2.

4: Thai Commercials

Lesson Summary
Thailand is one of the countries that contributed to the development of pop culture in the
Philippines especially in the entertainment industry. The Thais are famous for their "sadvertising"
which tugs the heart of its viewers. Aside from making a sad storyline for their advertisement,
they also produce funny or eccentric commercials which also tugs the heart of its viewers through
laughter.
Furthermore, most of Thailand’s commercials have lessons. In this lesson, you will learn
more about Thailand’s sadvertising history.

Learning Outcomes
In this lesson, you will be able to:
1. Trace the history of Thai commercials,
2. Know the reasons why Thai commercials have blossomed; and
3. Understand how Thai commercials have greatly influenced Philippine pop culture in terms
of advertisings.

Motivation Questions
Do you watch TV commercials? Do you consider them as art? Or do you think they are not
valuable?

Discussion
Read the article below before the full discussion of this lesson. In the article, some videos
are present. Access the article so that you can watch the videos through this link:
[Link] The videos
are sample Thai commercials.

The Wonderful World of Thai Advertising

By: Leslie Finlay

Consider this scenario: you’re watching TV, and an advertisement comes on. You’re engrossed in
the storyline and captivating visuals, forgetting that you’re watching a commercial. By the time
the product is revealed, you’ve been hit with an emotional punch, and you’re unprepared to return
to regular programming. Welcome to the weird world of Thai advertising.

Background on Thai advertising

Advertising in Thailand has rapidly grown into a full-blown entertainment genre, packed with
cultural cues, developed narratives, and deep messaging, as in this example from CP All, which
runs 7-Eleven stores in Thailand. Leading international firms have flocked to the capital to open
offices and embrace these eager consumers, delivering over-the-top, emotional, and downright
hilarious content that is only semi-aligned with any specific product.

To understand the effectiveness of Thailand’s bold advertising strategy, we first must appreciate
the country’s rich, tradition-laden culture and history. Economically, Thailand is considered a
developing country, but in the past decade, it has launched into an age of modernity. Bangkok has
become an international commercial hub. Consumers have more disposable income than ever
before, but they are not typically loyal to any particular brands—they’re still unfamiliar with many
of them—and they value their freedom of choice. This mindset makes Thais dream consumers
for advertising agencies, who can use humor, culture, tragedy, and other emotional cues to attract
attention to a product, thereby increasing its commercial value.

How Thailand’s history affects advertising

Thailand’s recent history has made the advertising evolution possible as well. The government
amended its constitution in 1997 to include freedom of speech, which changed the media
dynamic in Thailand altogether. While journalists still struggled with some censorship—
particularly concerning criticism of the monarchy or government—the advertising industry found
its roots in this environment. Then in 2001, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra limited freedom
of expression yet again. His control of advertising budgets through his own, expansive personal
network meant that only media supportive of the government would be awarded budgets. The
2014 military coup restricted free speech further under the National Council for Peace and
Order (NCPO). The nascent industry responded by appealing to consumers in its own,
uncontroversial way, through feeding a consumer appetite by appealing to humor and drama, as
in the video above.
Entertainment value in Thai advertising

Today, some of the restrictions have gradually lifted—although criticism of the government is still
closely censored—and advertisements now deliver commentary on topics dear to Thai culture,
like overcoming personal challenges, the importance of family, community, and personal
sacrifices. The local advent of online entertainment generated even more opportunity for
advertisers, as many governmental restrictions do not yet extend to the Internet, and online
content is often locally considered more credible than state-sponsored news sources. Plus,
Thailand leads the world in mobile Internet use, since 70 percent of Thais own smartphones.
Digital media has become ubiquitous to citizens’ everyday lives, and they’re eager to be
entertained for five minutes (or even fifteen) at a time during their daily commute.

This Internet revolution has completely energized Thai advertisers, who now depend less on state-
controlled Thai TV, and produce their spots in efforts to elicit a viral response. Narratives, like the
advertisements by 7-Eleven, are more complex and feature top celebrities, production value is
higher than ever, and plotlines often border on the controversial; the Asian markets savor it all.
The industry has evolved from simply selling products to Thai consumers, to entertaining the
masses in far-flung places like China, Japan, and even the United States. As restrictions continue
to abate and audiences grow, experts predict new trends will emerge, like engaged mobile
campaigns and personalized content. What’s unlikely to change, however, are the cultural
elements that make these advertisements uniquely Thai, and their ability to tug at our heartstrings
in one moment, and make us laugh out loud in the next.

Source: Finlay, L. (2018, February 12). Retrieved from Culture Trip:

Thai commercial has become a genre in the entertainment industry because of its
popularity. How does a Thai commercial attract viewers? It is actually a concoction of different
elements. Basically, the commercial runs long. It has a story and is narrated thoroughly. Its
creators exert effort in making its visual effects. Most of all, its storyline is either full of emotions
you want to bawl, or so funny you still bawl. A twist at the end is always almost present. You
would think that the commercial is a short film, but the end surprises you with an introduction of
a product.
The commercial industry of Thailand has roots with economic activity and the culture of
the people of the country. In the article, Finlay (2018) points out the roots of Thai commercial. It
started with the amendment of the country’s constitution that lead to the loosening of restrictions
to art and freedom of expression.
The global success of Thailand’s commercial industry has grounds in the development of
technology. Internet usage of the country is high; thus creators/artists have more opportunity to
share their works to the world. This also allows their business sector to flourish resulting to more
push and investment on the industry.
Philippine commercials have followed suit. Many of the famous products in the
Philippines have become talk of the town because of their commercials that have a storyline
suitable for a movie. An example is a commercial of Jollibee with the tagline Kwentong Jollibee.
These commercials are shareable on Facebook and YouTube. Upon its release, many netizens
share them, meaning that the commercials have captured the Pinoy heart.
Filipinos and Thais almost have the same level of internet usage. Both races surf the net
quite often. This similarity is also the reason why Philippine commercials is a success in the
country. The online community is a platform that gives Filipinos freedom to watch anything they
want. Filipino commercials on TV are visually laden, and are too colorful. Their aim is only to sell,
so they are done with gimmicks and are short. This is opposite to the commercials online. They
are well-thought, long, and reflect the values and culture of Filipinos. For example, a Joy
(dishwashing brand) commercial is about an OFW mother. Many Filipinos are overseas workers
and can relate to the commercial.
Thai and Filipino commercials are comparable in many ways such as in culture, emotional
effect, and storyline. However, there is no doubt that Thais have started the industry. With the
change of commercial line in the Philippines, from the short, full of dancing and singing combo,
it has become literary.

Learning Tasks/Activities
Create a SWOT analysis of the commercial industry in the Philippines. Refer to Dan Shewan’s
(2020) explanation on how to do a SWOT analysis. Click this
link:[Link] Provide at least 5 in
each. Below is the format for your guidance.
STRENGHTS WEAKNESSES OPPORTUNITIES THREATHS