Thailand's Tv Commercials

[geriatrickid]

I was telling my buddies the other day, that Thailand's marketing folks have some of the sharpest minds and tear provoking abilities that either match or exceed the brilliance that sometimes bubbles out of Europe and other Asia pacific countries. Their collective response was uhhh, really? Have you considered getting out more often, like maybe taking a girl for dinner or something normal like that instead of watching adverts? No, no I insisted. I'll prove it to you. I'm going to assemble the top 10 Thai commercials of all time. Collectively, they gave one of those standard Thai to farang smiles, you know the kind where, it's sort of like, hey let's just humour the idiot and maybe he'll shut up and we can get back to eating.

Ok, so here's where you come in. Any favourites out there? Youtube has a nice collection and who wouldn't piss himself laughing over the Charoen Optical advert where the crooks break into the "bank", break open the vault, only to find yoghurt which they eat. (You have to see it to appreciate it, honest, cuz it's a sperm bank), or the Cheers Beer ads. So if you have any, toss me some so I can go have a look.

Thanks.

[Mobi]

I rarely watch Thai TV these days so have no current favourites.

However I will comment that Thai TV ads have won a disproportionate number of Clios (The advertising equivalent of Oscars) over the years, and have punched way above their weight in world advertising circles.

There have been a number of TV programmes in the UK which showed amusing ads from around the world, and again the number of ads on these programmes from Thailand is very high.

In the early days there were a lot of farangs working in the advertising industry, teaching the Thais their trade, but these days it is almost exclusively Thai, and I agree with the OP that it is one field where Thais excel.

[JackFord]

The one I remember from about 10 years ago was for a washing powder company, the wife was washing the husbands jeans by hand and the more she was thinking about him being unfaithful the harder she was washing the crotch of the jeans.

It has to up there with the best, maybe a YOUTUBE fanatic will find it for us?

[aussiechick]

I agree they do have some of the best ads.

I remember the one for "Cooler Club" - obviously only a drink for females or gays! Wouldn't get away with it anywhere else.

[JimsKnight]

The older ads (8 years or more) are pretty decent ones and memorable.

I can recall them being shown on Tarrents TV show and they were a hoot

But I think most of the newer ones aren't worth much, they've gone from independent style to mass commercialisation ala western ads now.

These include the spate of ads featuring the wimpish male being made to look like a moron by a thai woman who 'shows' him the right way / product.

Copycating from the west anyone?

[GuestHouse]

I presume we aer discussing a select few advertisements and passing on the 99% of dross (usually some skin whitening or hair products).

[Kaks]

There's a classic advert doing the rounds at the moment. It's for the 30th anniversary of the Thai oil company. Think it's the state company with the blue flame as it's logo.

It's the most cheesy ad I've seen in my life featuring families, friends you name it all coming together and having a wonderful time at everyones favourite hang out....petrol stations!

It's a must see

[Birdman]

Another classic by a pharmaceutical company:

Somewhere floating in space there is a lonely astronaut double up with stomach pain, while a thunderous voice urged: Stomach pain? Feeling of fullness? Take TIFI

[dotcom]

Yes PTT & Thai Petrochem are responsible for life quality in Thailand. Never mind that most of their investments are overseas.

Pissing away shareholder equity on feel good ads on CNBC.

[Koo82]

I like the one for Top Charoen glasses. The wife was about to die from being cold so husband rushed her into somewhere. She came out with a jacket and felt better. They gave jacket for free when you buy glasses.

Another one is the ugly man smiling then a centepede coming out with shoes on every of its legs. Baoji shoes as I recall.

Edited January 13, 2009 by Koo82

[grantbkk]

I was recently on the BTS with an American friend. The ad playing was a chocolate man going around Bangkok getting eaten my men and women alike. He even had an arm torn off in a vehicle/pedestrian traffic accident. My friend commented that it was a stupid way to sell chocolate. I said it was Axe deodorant or, heaven forbid, a chocolate spray cologne from a can for the Thai metrosexual. He didn't believe me.

[Jimjim]

Thai TV is mostly crap except the commercials are surprisingly some of the best in the world by comparison. There was some good tear jerking drama one they showed in cinemas, for life insurance of course.

[Smithson]

There was a series of commercials a few years ago featuring Elvis, Micheal Jackson impersonators. Really funny, but they were taken of the air after a short time, I think Elvis fans complained.

There's a heap of Youtube if you search.

[Basch]

I was telling my buddies the other day, that Thailand's marketing folks have some of the sharpest minds and tear provoking abilities that either match or exceed the brilliance that sometimes bubbles out of Europe and other Asia pacific countries. Their collective response was uhhh, really? Have you considered getting out more often, like maybe taking a girl for dinner or something normal like that instead of watching adverts? No, no I insisted. I'll prove it to you. I'm going to assemble the top 10 Thai commercials of all time. Collectively, they gave one of those standard Thai to farang smiles, you know the kind where, it's sort of like, hey let's just humour the idiot and maybe he'll shut up and we can get back to eating.

Ok, so here's where you come in. Any favourites out there? Youtube has a nice collection and who wouldn't piss himself laughing over the Charoen Optical advert where the crooks break into the "bank", break open the vault, only to find yoghurt which they eat. (You have to see it to appreciate it, honest, cuz it's a sperm bank), or the Cheers Beer ads. So if you have any, toss me some so I can go have a look.

Thanks.

You are right but that is not really a secret, thailand usually holds most top positions in most asian advertising awards, in some years, the top 5 creatives in all of asia judged by their ranking have been thai and at most international advertising festivals you will find many gold medals going to thailand whether it is cannes lions or elsewhere around the world.

Here are some of my favourite ones that are also on youtube, I have actually been involved in the production of some of them a bit too since I happen to be romantically involved with their creative director

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EpG7D59rqc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB_hRQQWdyg...feature=related

There are many, many more but not all of them have made it to youtube, you can also check http://www.kosanathai.com/ for the latest clips.

Basch

Edited January 13, 2009 by Basch

[Birdman]

classic again:

A young Thai man walking in a house shadow. But sun rays were behind him. The man walked quicker in that shadow, but the sun rays followed him quicker as well. Man ran, sun rays still following him. Completely exhausted he escaped into a telephone booth. And there: a cooling powder. He took it and suddenly the scene around the telephone booth became like in deepest Canadian winter with snow and thick snowflakes everywhere. Such a lucky guy...

[papajohn]

Have been watching the Thai Public Service ads on WeTv lately.

I don't understand Thai that well but the visuals get the message

across. The ads address many issues, wife abuse, drunk driving, bad

behavior in Thai bars etc. Kudos to the company that produces the ads.

They do it in a light but strong way and the message is made. Sad but true.

[geeky]

well, as they have to produce 10 times more ads than actually TV programs, they better come up from time to time with something not badly as average ...

[katana]

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Ligx_u3WIEo

A Thai ad for a mobile phone shop called M-shop.

The punch line is:

"Want to avoid fakes/counterfeits? Come to M-Shop. You can be sure of all our brands. You can be sure of everything in M-Shop."

Edited January 13, 2009 by katana

[henryalleman]

A very good one for a Flemish newspaper.

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=-nddXleEUQ4

To understand "Vlaai", pronounced "FLY"is a kind of fruit pie.

[JimsKnight]

The one that made me laugh the most was shown on Tarrents TV in the late 90s.

The ad starts with a bunch of guys bragging on who gets the most girls.

Everyones bigging up themselves reeling off names, noys, leks, etc.

Then the silent one of the group takes his shirt off and is covered in about eight or so multiple love bites. As he does so the name of each girl who has given them appears on the screen next to each one.

The other blokes are speechless but then he pulls out a certain famous anti-perspirant spray / deodrant of choice to show how he got the girls!

Old uns are the best boys

[jcon]

Ford Ranger "Helicopter" TVC. So good it got Worldwide Release (except NA where they sell a different Ranger)... the commercial has won awards... I personally think the credit goes to the talent...

Thailand does come up with some good commercials - the creative departments at some ad agencies are very creative and witty indeed... though I must say they do steal a lot of ideas from foreign markets. I've seen storyboards literally lifted off a foreign TVC...

Production values of the good TVCs in Thailand are of quite high standard.

[girlx]

I personally think the credit goes to the talent...

[jcon]

I personally think the credit goes to the talent...

Well c'mon girlx, let's give credit where credit is due, ja? lol

I'm just talking from a production standpoint, of course