Creative Economy Agency

At the Creative Excellence Awards 2024 (CE Awards 2024) held on 29 October 2024 by Creative Economy Agency (Public Organization) or CEA, at the Capella Hotel in Bangkok, a Creative Talk Session was organized featuring three distinguished speakers from Thailand’s creative industries. The session, titled “Empowering Creativity: Unlocking Thailand’s Potential for Global Soft Power,” focused on how to find inspiration and transform it into creative works across three industries: fashion, advertising, and film series.

The three highly talented speakers are:

- Pipatchara Kaeojinda, Co-Founder of PIPATCHARA Brand from the fashion industry.

- Prasit Vitayasamrit, Executive Creative Director and Co-Founder of Choojai Ka Kalayanamitr Co., Ltd. from the advertising industry.

- Siwarot Kongsakul, Director of the film series “Master of the House” by Kantana Motion Pictures Co., Ltd. from the film industry.

How to Run a Creative Fashion Industry to Gain Acceptance and Make a Positive Impact on Society

Pipatchara Kaeojinda, co-founder of the brand PIPATCHARA, mentioned that the brand’s strength lies in its initial goal of being “Fashion For Community.” This approach has gained recognition and attention not only for its design but also for its use of sustainable materials. Additionally, the brand collaborates with communities in Mae Hong Son province, where conversations with local people have become another source of inspiration. These elements have contributed to PIPATCHARA’s international acclaim.

How to Create an Impactful Advertisement: Insights from a Cannes Lions Award Winner

Prasit Vitayasamrit, Executive Creative Director and Co-founder of Choojai Ka Kalayanamitr Co., Ltd., discussed the advertisement “Sammakorn, Not the Revenue Department,” which won a Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity award, the most prestigious award in the advertising industry. Winning a Cannes Lions award is undoubtedly challenging, but Thai agencies manage to win it every year due to the abundance of high-quality personnel in Thailand.

The concept for the “Sammakorn, Not the Revenue Department” advertisement originated from the general public’s lack of awareness about what Sammakorn represents. Despite creating deeply meaningful advertisements, people still couldn’t remember the brand. This advertisement aimed to communicate that Sammakorn is a real estate brand selling houses, not a government tax collection agency, as some people had genuinely confused the brand name with the government agency.

Prasit and his team intended to make the brand approachable and relatable to consumers, rather than appearing too high-end and unattainable. Although there were concerns that foreigners might not understand the message, it turned out that the issue of mispronouncing brand names is a common problem worldwide. By shifting the strategy from making the brand seem prestigious to making it relatable, the advertisement resonated with the judges and won their hearts.

“Master of the House” - A Thai Series Captivating Audiences Worldwide

Siwarot Kongsakul, the director of the film and series “Master of the House” by Kantana Motion Pictures Co., Ltd., spoke about the series “Master of the House” as a collaboration between Kantana, which has a strong foundation in quality literature, and the streaming platform Netflix, which provides substantial funding for producers, directors, and the team. When brainstorming for the production, Siwarot  thought about telling a story about economic pressures, a current and relatable situation. He wanted to create something original without worrying about conforming to Hollywood, Bollywood, or Korean styles, but rather, finding a unique Thai identity that could succeed.

Siwarot mentioned that this series is about being true to oneself, ensuring that there are no unintentional references or use of others’ works in the content. The strength of this series lies not only in its creativity but also in self-awareness and understanding what unique qualities we possess. Siwarot has always aimed to break the boundaries between art, often seen as inaccessible, and drama, perceived as easily approachable. “Master of the House” was created to dismantle these borders.

Empowering Thai Soft Power to the Global Stage

Pipatchara mentioned that the increasing recognition of the PIPATCHARA brand over the past 2-3 years is due to their use of orphan waste, such as recycled materials, in their collections. These materials include water bottle caps, yogurt drink bottles, plastic cutlery, and both clear and black food packaging plastics. This idea was proposed by Tubtim, the brand’s co-founder, who emphasized the need to manage waste. This led to a collaboration with the social enterprise “YOLO,” focusing on household waste. By adding value to these materials, PIPATCHARA aligns with the global interest in sustainability, showcasing Thailand’s commitment to this cause. The brand has also gained attention from celebrities like Lisa from Blackpink and Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway, among others.

Prasit observed that Thai advertisements have always been globally recognized, though this might not be widely known. Thai talent is abundant, but the production wages in Thailand remain low. To elevate the advertising industry as a national soft power, good creative potential must be supported by a good quality of life. Therefore, good welfare for workers is crucial to enhancing human resources in the advertising industry.

Siwarot added that government support is essential but often lacks continuity. Instead of spreading resources thinly, it would be more effective to reduce the number of supported projects but increase funding to allow creators to produce higher quality work.

These perspectives from three prominent Thai creatives in the fashion, advertising, and film industries highlight the potential to drive Thai soft power globally. Continuous and serious support from both the public and private sectors is essential to enable these creators to produce innovative works that align with global trends while maintaining their unique identity.