Thai sponsors embrace second season of 'Dance Your Fat Off'

IPG Mediabrands' branded-content unit Ensemble created the show, which is produced by a production house called Creatists. The first season of the programme drew a peak 7.4 Nielsen rating in February 2013. The show also garnered close to 50,000 Facebook fans and 6 million YouTube views during its run, according to Ensemble.

The second season, airing for 13 weeks, features pop star Yayaying Ratha Po-ngarm, DJ Eggy, and actor Supoj Janjaroen as judges, as well as TV host and writer Kalamare Patcharasri Benjamas as emcee. The format, based on an international property called 'Dance Your Ass Off' (licensed through NBCUniversal), pits 20 finalists against each other in weekly dancing contests that eliminate the lowest-scoring contestant. The competitors, drawn from more than 1,000 who auditioned, also receive attention from a physician, a nutritionist and a fitness trainer throughout the process.  

“Obesity and obesity-related disorders such as hypertension, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes have reached epidemic proportions in Thailand with at least 4 million Thais growing obese annually," said Dew Intapunya, the head of Ensemble in Thailand. The show has struck a chord because it highlights the growing problem and offers practical lifestyle advice.

With more than 200 TV channels in the country and complex licensing regulations, developing branded content is a complicated procedure in Thailand, according to Ensemble.