A New Campaign to Celebrate Thai Identity and Diversity
In an effort to boost global recognition and stimulate economic growth in both the business sector and tourism, a new campaign called My Pride Thailand has been launched. This initiative is a collaboration between several key organizations, including the Creative Economy Agency (CEA), the Creative Industry and Soft Power Institute (CISPI), the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI), and Pink Blue Black and Orange (PBB and O). The campaign showcases 50 unique graphic characters that reflect the diversity and essence of Thai culture.
The use of bright and varied colors in the campaign embodies the concept of inclusivity and highlights the charm of being Thai. It sends a powerful message that every individual is valuable, equal, and proud of their identity as Thais. These characters are not just artistic expressions; they represent the core values of Thai society, such as being easy-going, having a strong sense of community, and being open-minded.
Designing these characters required a high level of creativity and visual storytelling. However, the campaign allows companies from various industries to incorporate these 50 characters into their products, services, and activities. This provides Thai entrepreneurs with an opportunity to benefit from the campaign. While there is a cost associated with using the My Pride CI (campaign identity), it is offered at a special deal tailored for different commercial values.
For instance, entrepreneurs who use My Pride CI on products valued between 50,001 and 500,000 baht will be charged 2,000 baht. For products valued between 500,001 and 1,000,000 baht, the charge is 20,000 baht, and for products valued over 1,000,001 baht, the fee is 50,000 baht. This structure ensures that businesses of all sizes can participate in the campaign.
The campaign was launched during Bangkok Pride, which celebrates and promotes diversity, equality, and LGBTI rights. Siam Attariya, design director of PBB and O, shared that the campaign initially started as a project for the LGBTI community during Pride Month. However, the CEA and CISPI aimed to expand the campaign’s reach by promoting the characters in commercial products targeting tourists.
After discussing the idea with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, the BMA recognized the potential of the campaign and suggested that it could be used continuously for other events like My Pride Songkran, My Pride Loy Krathong, and My Pride Thai Cuisine. This expansion reflects the broader vision of the campaign to celebrate different aspects of Thai culture throughout the year.
Due to the tight timeline, many designers and interns from PBB and O, along with outsourced designers, were involved in creating the 50 characters. The designs were inspired by the style of Watoosiri Jansin, the lead illustrator of the campaign. The characters highlight typical Thai traits such as being easy-going, having fictive kinship, being fun-loving, and being accepting. The focus was on showcasing these characteristics rather than traditional cultural elements like muay Thai or temples.
Siam emphasized that the goal was to create characters with unique personalities, hairstyles, and costumes that challenge societal stereotypes. However, the team had to consider that people have varying senses of humor. One example was a character in a Superman costume that resembled a political leader from a foreign country. This design was changed after the clients felt it was not funny.
With 50 characters, the campaign might seem overwhelming at first. Chakrit Pichyangkul, executive director of the CEA, explained that having multiple characters allows different industries to choose those that best suit their needs. While each character is distinct, they all share the same theme of Thainess, pop art, and contemporary features. The characters are modern and have international appeal, aiming to connect with a global audience.
In addition to the 50 graphic characters, My Pride Line stickers inspired by Thai literature are now available. The BTS Skytrain also issued 220,000 one-day pass tickets featuring My Pride characters in June. At the press conference, Moreloop, a company specializing in upcycling surplus fabrics, offered DIY tote bags and T-shirts with My Pride characters. Thamonwan Virodchaiyan, co-founder of Moreloop, expressed excitement about the variety of characters and their ability to communicate different perspectives.
Looking ahead, Siam mentioned that two or three characters would be selected to address specific issues. For example, a character named Nabito, inspired by Doraemon, reflects the easy-going nature of Thai people. Another character, a young angel, represents the common practice of praying for good fortune. However, since angels cannot fulfill everyone’s wishes, the campaign aims to encourage self-reliance and hard work through these characters.
Chakrit hopes that entrepreneurs will reach out to the CEA or CISPI to use My Pride CI for their products and services. The FTI will serve as the central point of communication with the industrial sector, understanding their specific needs.
Siam expressed hope that the campaign will pave the way for a system where benefits are shared. He believes this is just the beginning and hopes people will recognize the value of design, as it requires significant time and effort from designers.
