Mobile prepaid brand TNT has signed three of Thailand’s most popular actors led by Nonkul Chanon (Bad Genius), Gulf Kanawut (TharnType: The Series), and Mario Maurer (Love of Siam, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Pee Mak) as its newest ambassadors. The trio will headline TNT’s “Kilig Saya” campaign with actress Sue Ramirez and pop queen Sarah Geronimo.
TNT’s move comes as more Filipino youth have turned into big fans of Thai series and films, giving in to the so-called Thai Invasion, a term used to describe the phenomenon of Thailand’s growing prominence in the international pop culture scene.
“Filipinos and Thais have always had mutual appreciation for each other’s wealth of entertainment content, but we’ve seen this grow even bigger recently as more Filipinos enjoy easy access to streaming platforms and social media through TNT’s value-packed promos,” said Jane J. Basas, SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart.
“As TNT enables Filipinos to follow their favorite Thai superstars Mario Maurer, Gulf Kanawut, and Nonkul Chanon on their smartphone, we’re now bringing these Thai actors even closer to them as the newest TNT KaTropas in our latest campaign,” she added.
Since 2007, Thai dramas and films have dominated the Southeast Asian scene almost to the same level as K-Pop and Japanese cultures.
Nonkul Chanon is best known for the film Bad Genius, which became the highest-grossing Thai film of 2017. Overseas, it broke Thai film earning records in several Asian countries, making it one of the most internationally successful Thai films ever.
Gulf Kanawut, on the other hand, is best known for the highly successful TharnType The Series, an adaptation of a popular Thai web novel. He has appeared in various magazine covers in Thailand as well as performed in solo concerts.
Meanwhile, Mario Maurer is best known for his lead roles in the 2007 film Love of Siam and the 2010 sleeper hit Crazy Little Thing Called Love. He is also the lead star of Thailand’s highest-grossing film of all time, Pee Mak, which grossed over $33 million in both domestic and international box office receipts.
“TNT’s passion is to bring the youth together through fun and happiness. We recognize their remarkable spirit and perseverance to overcome all odds, we’re very excited to showcase how they find joy even in the hardest of circumstances in our newest campaign featuring the Thai superstars they admire,” says Miriam Z. Choa, FVP and Head of Prepaid Marketing at Smart.
Stay tuned for the release of TNT’s “Kilig Saya” campaign by following TNT on Facebook (www.fb.com/TNTph), Twitter via the hashtag #TNTKiligSaya and Instagram (@tntph).
