{ unplug } DTAC "Disconnect to connect" TV commercial

{ by } Oeil S Jumratsilpa

{ source } Oeil SJ, 2010.10.12

{ topics } unplugging, disconnecting,
turning off, mobile phones

The brand DTAC has always had a friendly and easy-going personality. This TV commercial doesn’t forget the unmistakable personality even when criticizing the society and its current issue.

DTAC is the second largest phone company in Thailand and is owned by a Norwegian phone company called Telenor. Thailand is known to have its own way of appreciating and responding to advertising and branding. Telenor, being a foreign company, made a good choice when they decided not to brand DTAC as a Norwegian company but instead did a good research on the style of branding and advertisement Thais respond well to.

The brand DTAC has always had a friendly and easy-going personality. This TV commercial doesn’t forget the unmistakable personality even when criticizing the society and its current issue.

Any Thai can tell you how big a problem this issue is in Thailand nowadays. Every teenager has a BlackBerry and barely puts it down. I personally know someone who doesn’t let a major corporate meeting stop him from farming on his iPhone. Newspapers write about it. Standup comedians talk about it. The issue is there and everyone knows it’s a problem, but no one does anything about it.

Being a foreign company, I think it is wise that Telenor employs an advertising agency in Thailand (Y&R Thailand) to handle advertising for DTAC. Only local people can truly understand their audience and what they respond to at the moment.

The actors featured in this advert are what DTAC’s target market looks like: middle class/upper middle class. Additoinally, the actors are not exceptionally good-looking; they just look like real people you see on the streets. These two factors make it easier for the audience to relate to the advert.

The use of music helps build tension and establish climax of the advert. It is not a well-known song and does not steal much attention from the key message. Music serves only as an additional tool that aids communication.

This advert was launched earlier this month { Oct. 2010 } and has received extremely positive feedback. In seven days, the advert on YouTube has gained around 660,000 views. It is also talked about and shared on Facebook. With these two media channels, the advert has already reached audience around the globe.