If the dictionary ever needs a picture to go with the word "sentimentality", many Thai TV advertisements might be able to provide a still or two.
A number of Thai ads are famous for pushing emotional buttons, squeezing tears and making people sob. Some call it heartwarming, others call it just corny. This past Mother's Day, Tesco Lotus aired ads showing a female taxi driver who braves the harsh reality to provide for her son.
Giant conglomerate CP also provided a tear-jerking story of a runaway girl who had fought with her mother and a food vendor who then reconciled with her family in a heart-swelling way. Last year, Thai Life Insurance ads titled Unsung Hero made headlines in international media for its sentimentalism -- the ads shows a man who goes around committing random acts of kindness, giving large sums of money to a homeless girl and sharing grilled chicken with a stray dog, before the narrator concludes that "He gets nothing... What he receives are emotions," and "Receives what money can't buy".
Not all Thai ads use this strategy, but Thai ads are certainly very good at it. There have been articles such as "Thai advert that has everyone weeping" in the UK's Daily Mail newspaper or "7 Sad Ads from Thailand" compiled by a foreign YouTube user. But while these ads are uplifting, some critics say they're superficial. And as this trend of "sadvertisement" keeps pushing the boundaries between product information, brand building, emotional manipulation and soap opera, the way commercials influence the perception of the audience gets more and more complicated.
Leo Burnett Group of Thailand was responsible for the Mother's Day taxi driver ads. They were inspired by an Egyptian woman Abu Daooh, who lived, and most importantly worked, as a man for 40 years to support her family. "We realised there are single mums here who are willing to take risks just to support their children," explained Ariyawat Juntaratip, the creative director behind the Tesco Lotus Mother's Day ads.
Storyboard for the Ariyawat Juntaratip's Tesco Lotus Mother's Day ad.
Ariyawat described how the Thai advertising industry often corresponds to the way Thai people express their emotions. "Thai culture is full of different emotions that are reflected in the advertisement. Certain emotions are shown in advertisements in the extreme way; some ads are extremely funny and others might be extremely sad. This is the personality that makes Thai advertisements different when compared to ads [from other places]."
This emphasis on gut-punching sentimentality is effective in making the audience remember the ads, but one might wonder where the connection between the story and the product is. Ariyawat explains that the client didn't always want to "sell the products", in the case of the Mother's Day ads, but also wanted to show their understanding and to celebrate the power of mothers.
In the case of "Unsung Hero", Korn Tepintarapiraksa of Ogylvie & Mathers who was the creative mind behind it, said the ads answered the client's request, which was "to enhance Thai Life Insurance brand image by combining it with the idea of 'life'".
Korn Tepintarapiraksa, Ogilvy & Mather's advertising chief creative officer.
"Advertisements sometimes follows trends," said On-Usa Lampiengpol, president of Advertisement Association of Thailand. "Sometimes we see ads using a comical approach, then it stops [and becomes something else]. Thai people love trends and fresh ideas require originality."
On-Usa adds that the advertising industry's most important job is still to convey information of certain products, but things are more complicated these days. "Sometimes advertisements are similar to any entertainment that can bring people to tears, laughter, etc. It is important that an advertisement has a dialogue and creates relationships and conversations with people to form a long-term bond." She adds that such a long-term bond "doesn't have to be manipulative".
While Thai ads win praise from observers for their approach, some people interpret this fad as mere sob stories and consumerist ploy.
But is it always necessary for sentimentalism to be used in an advertisement to make a good impression?
"Drama is relatable and it creates an emotional interaction with the audience," said film lecturer Prawit Taeng-Aksorn, who has taught and written about film language for over 20 years. "It makes it easier to understand [the content] but it also makes the advertisement unrealistic.
"Emotions sell and sometimes it's crossing the appropriate line." Prawit said, though he's not referring to any ads in particular. "It's a challenging time for consumers because the level of media literacy isn't the same for everyone and it's getting harder to see if we're being persuaded to buy products or become a victim to its dramatic manipulation."
So where does the barrier between sentimentality and neutrality lie? In a way, the strength of advertising is to remind us of our need, though it can also toy with human weakness in order to sell or make a particular product stand out within a minute or 30 seconds. As long as an ad is permitted to air, the question of "going too far" is moot. But still, can creativity go hand in hand with charity or sentimentality?
Ariyawat Juntaratip, The Leo Burnett Group of Thailand.
"It is just about plugging products after all. The main purpose is always to sell the brand," said Prawit. "If someone wants to sincerely change society, they shouldn't credit themselves [as having done so].
"[In some ads] human relationships are compared to business relationships -- a brand guarantees to take care of a consumer like a father and daughter relationship. It aims to create a good feeling, but it is also crude."
Advertising is a means of communication and legally and creatively there are no restrictions on the strategy to connect with consumers. This begs the question as to whether the "sentimental fad" is responding to Thai society's overemotional nature, or whether it is merely a desperate attempt at grabbing attention as the mainstream advertising industry increasingly finds competition from other platforms, such as digital media.
The Tesco Lotus Mother's Day ad.
"[Back in the old days] advertisements were memorable and in-depth with big ideas," explained On-Usa of the Advertisement Assoc. "But these days, it's hard to remember any ads because the world has changed, there are more digital entertainment platforms and advertisement is fragmented.
"Digital platforms will take over the mainstream media in five years because people are watching less TV." On-Usa said.
"The Thai advertisement industry used to be at the top, but now it's not in that position. Many ads are too superficial without depth and that's why ads that can capture consumers' attention and looks at things from a different angle are very important."
The Tesco Lotus Mother's Day ad.
