MONG AND THE CREATIVE ECONOMY
The Nation : Monday, September 28th 2009
Paper is a constant presence in our lives. In this electronic age, we still use and recycle a lot of it everyday. Changing the way paper is manufactured, consumed and used is a major factor in reducing the carbon footprint.
Looking back, a simple paper toy was a mainstay of my childhood - and has been for children all over the country for decades. But who would have thought that a humble piece of paper, skillfully crafted into the aeroplane, could pit contestants against each other as the subject of an international competition ?
A recent paper aeroplane contest in Japan has not only brought fame to our country but also got people thinking about our bureaucratic system, our human values, our ability to empathize and the way heroes and champions are made.
This is the story of the making and marketing of Hmong boy Mong Thongdee (no relation to Todd Thongdee), and his team of Thai champions, who emerged victorious in the competition.
Mong achieved 10.53 seconds of flying time with his paper aeroplane to grab the championship for himself and his team.
Mong has been granted Thai citizenship, and become a goodwill ambassador and a symbol of our love for His Majesty the King.
This turn of events simply makes one smile with pride, augmented as it is by one's own fond memories, and representing as it does an example of the potential of the much-touted creative economy.(provided the Government is serious about marketing and promoting it, with the private sector as a key player)
Marketing and media firms take note : I could never have imagined that a little boy and his simple paper toy could enhance Brand Thailand - and at the same time add some shine to the PM's mark.
These days our lives are overwhelmingly occupied with the mega-plans, mega-projects, mega-objects, mega-buildings, mega-brands and mega-games. Along comes the little Hmong boy with his little paper plane, armed only with his mega-competitive spirit "successfully disrupting" our routines with his victory, and putting him at the centre of attention among his Thai team-mates.
This case of a simple game being used to build a country's image should win a marketing award. This disruption of the status quo really choked me up, and has added to the slew of awards our Thai kids have won lately in student competitions. Mong and his friends have added value to the "Amazing Thailand " brand.
But without Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva's approval, our controversial Hmong champion would not have had the chance to compete at all. This was a timely executive decision that not only added strength to the branding of Thailand but also added strength to the PM's brand as well. Mong's 10.53 seconds won a championship, a country's hearts, reams of newspaper space and electronic media time - and was a major coup for the government.
While nobody is laughing all the way to the bank, everyone is richer, with huge deposits and withdrawals of truth-telling - all born of the simple street game.
I hope my TV commercial can do an effective job of selling this image for 15 seconds, with the 12 year-old boy i cast flying his paper aeroplane - a plane that carries his dreams.
"Amazing Thailand " is not all about the City of Angels alone : we are perhaps accidentally unearthing the hidden talents of our creative economy bit by bit, which is a wonderful change from the crowded news shows and crowded streets full of colours, paradoxes and controversy.
Perhaps we have a lot of catching up to do with the developed world in terms of technology, but we will not be running short of creativity and innovative ideas in the next decade - of this I am sure.
With Peth Osathahnugrah as CCO, Bangkok University has undergone a similar kind of shift to a Creative University platform. Students will gain not just academic knowledge, but also be encouraged to come up wit creative ideas that will see them contribute to Thailand's creative economy and eventually benefit their career paths as well.
Maybe our government can launch a campaign that encourages us to "Just do it...Ideas inside ".
Kitti Chambundabongse
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