Direct-selling company Better Way Thailand's new 75-second TVC combines
the Thai's love for word play with the culture's unique perspective on
underarm odour.
Local agency Fame Line came up with the idea to promote the company's
Mistine Force roll-on deodorant for women - using a turtle as
talent.
In the spot, a newborn turtle goes on a desperate search for its parent,
pursuing a woman's body odour it mistakes for its mother.
In Thai, the word turtle is tao and can be used to mean bad body odour,
as in men tao.
A more literal translation could be "you smell like a turtle".
Released in the first week of March, the TVC has become the talk of the
town because it appeals to the Thai's love of bawdy biological humour,
said Fame Line group account director Rachapong Ngampisai.
"No one has been offended. Post-test research conducted over the weekend
showed 98 per cent of respondents loved the commercial."
The TVC also received a "No.1" rating from influential Thai business
newspaper Thansirikit as the best new spot on the air.
Mr Rachapong said the concept was created in close co-operation with
Better Way (Thailand) and they chose to develop a longer narrative to
maximise impact and heighten brand awareness in the market.
"We felt we needed to create an emotional impact and then twist the
viewers perspective by using a play on words.
"The story line is longer but to make a difference we need to entertain
as everyone is waiting for the new Mistine commercial, expecting it to
be interesting."
He said Fame Line's previous Mistine TVC won the company a silver award
at Cannes last year.
In the commercial, the turtle emerges from its egg to find it has been
born to foster water fowl parents.
Because it cannot keep up with the flock of ducks, it breaks away to
look for its biological mother.
The turtle ends up on the beach poking its nose into an underarm of a
sunbathing woman.
Another 30-second TVC, titled "Turtle calls its mother", was released on
March 17, with the turtle poking its face in the underarm of a famous
model during a beach fashion shoot.
According to Mr Rachapong, both spots cost five million baht (US$131,000) to produce and another 45 to 50 million baht will be spent on
buying airtime until the end of May.
Better Way (Thailand) predicts the turtle campaign will increase total
Mistine deodorant product sales from 250 million baht in 1999 to over
300 million baht in 2000.
