Tourism Thailand’s ‘creepy’ marketing video
A short film in which an American in Thailand tracks down a local woman through her Instagram photos is the latest dubious effort at promotion from Thailand’s tourism industry.
In the 16-minute film called Love en Route, an American man travels to Thailand to heal a broken heart.
He fixates on Instagram pictures of a young Thai woman travelling in remembrance of her sister.
The American man eventually tracks her down. She initially resists his attempts to pursue a friendship but eventually gives in and they two spend time touring Thailand together.
The video was intended as a love letter to Thailand’s sights, sounds and culture while encouraging visitors to share their photos with social media friends, but has been criticised as « creepy » by some in the travel industry, TheDailyMail reported.
Jennifer Perry, CEO of the Digital-Trust, an abuse charity, told The Independent: « [The man in the video] is trying to find someone to love online but in order to do that he is tracking an individual down. A lot of times it might turn out just fine, but in the world I deal with there are a lot more abusive scary individuals out there than you would think, » she said.
At the end of the video the man explains his feelings at the airport as he is about to leave. The young woman walks away in silence, then realising the visitor may be her destiny, she posts a photo of the pair on Instagram.
The new promotion comes not long after last November’s « I Hate Thailand » effort which was posted on YouTube and initially taken as genuine by some Thai newspapers before the Tourism Authority of Thailand admitted to being behind the video.
It showed a British tourist who gets into a funk after his bag is stolen, but things look up after he meets an attractive Thai woman.
Another promotion that raised some eyebrows last year involved a chance for non-Thai women aged 25 to 45 to win a luxury holiday and free plastic surgery.
What do you think of the advert? Creepy or cute? Let us know in the comments.
– Stuff
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