Thailand: Videos Promoting Healthy Lifestyle · Global Voices
Mong Palatino

The Thai Health Promotion Foundation, an independent state agency set up in 2001 and funded by proceeds from tobacco and alcohol excise taxes, has been using video ads to promote healthy lifestyle among Thais. Its recent anti-smoking ad which featured children became viral and was judged by many health advocates as the most effective anti-smoking ad in the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u-rhnV4l08
Rebecca Cullers praises the simplicity of the video ad:
It’s being praised as one of the most effective anti-smoking ads ever, which is especially impressive considering it required little more than a few pieces of paper and two kids. Ogilvy Thailand's video stunt for the Thai Health Promotion Board racked up more than 960,000 views before being removed from YouTube for some reason. It has since been reposted, with some of the duplicates continuing to gather audiences by the hundred thousand
Allegra Wiborg explains the effectiveness of the ad:
Why does this tactic work? Here are my thoughts: the thought of children smoking is deeply upsetting. But why? Because children’s lives are precious, vulnerable, and in need of protection.
Ah ha, then the poignant flip in the commercial: But do adults ever look in the mirror and say the same thing about their own lives?
Below are some of the ads of the agency. In this video, a father was reminded about his smoking habits by his kid
The setting in this another anti-smoking ad is a public park
The waitress showed her ‘love’ for the smoking customer in this video
The smoking boss is lucky for having a loyal employee:
Aside from smoking, the agency also tackled alcoholism in its other videos. The video below offers practical tips on how to quit drinking alcohol
Lesson for drunk drivers:
Road safety is also being promoted by the agency. The dangers of speed driving are taught in this video
A similar message about the need to limit speed while driving
A funny video promoting exercise
Another video on the health benefits of regular exercise