Image courtesy of YouTube
In anticipation of a down year for tourist arrivals, Thailand's Tourism Authority has attempted to change the game with a unique "unbranding" advertisement.
The five-minute video, titled "I Hate Thailand," went viral soon after it was released last week, racking up more than one million views on YouTube within three days. It currenty stands at just over 1.4 million clicks.
The marketing tool, which the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) points out is a "romantic-comedy short film," follows a British tourist who falls in love with the country after overcoming his initial misery. Despite visiting for vacation, he winds up staying for several years.
TAT issued a press release on Tuesday explaining the video and its purpose soon after it began generating buzz on the web. In a statement included in the release, TAT Governor Thawatchai Arunyik discussed the organization's motivation for taking an unconventional approach:
"There's been much hype and speculation following the release of the 'I Hate Thailand' video, which has been produced based on a research that an 'unbranding' advertisement would tend to receive more interest than a conventional branding commercial. The intention of this video is solely to depict the renowned Thai hospitality, demonstrating that Thais are ready to be a good host and offer a helping hand to tourists who need help."
If you haven't seen it already, you can watch the complete "I Hate Thailand" video below:
Although the video toes the line between entertainment and advertisement, there's no question that it accomplishes what it set out to do, and that's help restore Thailand's reputation as a top-flight tourist destination.
According to the Associated Press, TAT projects a declining number of tourist arrivals for 2014 in the wake of several events that have damaged the country's allure, including the murder of two British tourists back in September.
With tourism accounting for roughly seven percent of Thailand's economy, the country could use some positive buzz. And it appears that Thailand has found some with this latest campaign.
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