Hi again—When you answered my previous question, I felt faint <3 I want to ask about revenue and distribution. I’m assuming heavier product placement in Thai and Vietnamese BL (I haven't watched much Pinoy BL yet) is correlated to more open distribution (no paywall), whereas Japanese and Korean BLs get $$$ from distribution (paywall platforms), and so rely less on diegetic advertising as a source of revenue? Trying to follow the babies and the money.
Hi hi!!
Thai BL & Product Placement (weirdly, a defense)
I think you are right, although KBL will occasionally have product placement. Maybe I caught Taiwan out a time or two, but...
Weirdly, I’ve totally stopped noticing it now, unless it’s done really well or really funny. (Then I’m pleased for both the product and the actors. “Oh, they did it well! Go them!”) Also I’m probubly being influenced by it. I’m certainly more intersted in trying Mama noodles than I ever once was.
At the beginning, it bothered me a lot because it was so clumsy. Then Ingredients happened and I was like... OKAY, if this is what we get, I’ll take the product placement and LIKE IT.
A few of the more arthouse Thai BLs over the years have had little to no product (Grey Rainbow, Present Perfect, ITSAY) but they are certainly the exception rather than the rule. Which makes me wonder whether this symbiotic relationship in Thailand between product and BL has influenced their BLs into being more happy and light hearted. Hard to sell something if the boys die. If that’s the case, for that reason alone, I’d support this model. I like happy camp fluff.
Recently Bite Me (a prime candidate) had little product placement, probubly (to prove your point) because it had a distribution deal with Viki. But I don’t think it was particularly successful for VIki so I don’t see a seed change happening because of it.
The Thai BL system is now established and, from teaser (fund raising) trailer on in, the their ideal is to raise sponsors to get a series made and that means product.
Also think the MewGulf Effect should be taken into account.
Thailand realized early on that BL couple sponsors sell product. We’ve seen a number of instances where the product was placed into a Thai BL and then, once the BL became successful, that couple became brand ambassadors for that product. I suspect it works rather well. A bit like the Thai version of Kpop idol brand ambassadors, only targeting a micro (in-country) scale.
I talk about this in one of my demographics post, but the same age and gender that watches BL also tends to be household product buyers and brand allies (women ages 25-55). It’s one of the few instances I’ve encountered where the demo that consumes an entertainment also possess prime purchasing power. (Another reason Ingredients was such a smart show.)
Which is a long way of saying you are right.
And there’s a small part of me that wonders why Strongberry hasn’t tried this for the Korean market, or if there are legal restrictions in that market against placement. (Because Light On Me, for example, missed a couple of prime opportunities.)
Which is an even longer way of saying I think Thailand may be developing a weird new art form around this. Like the Gold Blend couple, it may not change the course of film, but it might alter the course of advertising. And least in/to some country sectors and demographics. (From the brand’s standpoint it’s super difficult to track the immediacy of the effect, through.) If you want a USA version of this, it is Subaru and the lesbian market, specifically in shows like The L Word.
Thanks for the ask, turns out I had more thoughts than I thought I would on this subject.
MORE PRODUCT PLACEMENT!
I got another ask about which product placement I liked best. So here’s that as well, so I have this all in one pace:
Ooo, yes. Well my absolute FAVORITE is this one in Gen Y.
They danced. They took squeezy bottles as tribute to the campus queen bee. There was no singing! It made me SO HAPPY. It was absolutely ridiculous.
They didn’t try to fight the awkward they just took the awkward and pushed it into this crazy chaos arena - but that's Star Hunter for you. I thought it was a stroke of absolutely genius.
RUNNERS UP
I thought Bad Buddy knocked it out of the park in the opposite direction. Especially with infamous “seaweed finger.” Would we call it subtle? Maybe just cheeky. Certainly sexy. But that was fun and not awkward at all. Nanon, that man can act anything.
I have a bit of affection for SOTUS S's seaweed execution too, in the scene where the girl has Kong open the bag and then says to the other girl with the crush, "Eat, this was opened by A MAN." I just thought it was very funny.
And then my final pick would be Ingredients, because it was one long form advert that still managed to be charming and comforting and fun.
All that said, of the many things advertised very few have I actually wanted to try (and I will EAT ANYTHING). Mostly just the weird purple drink with the chewable bits in it. And that’s out of morbid curiosity.
Some GMMTV pairs did a full on ramen advert for Mama OK Noodles where they dressed like the packaging (I like this kind of camp), and I did want to try the spicy one (hilariously I think that was OffGun’s) but that’s just me wondering if Thailand would actually make an instant ramen spicy enough for me, because no one else has.
Also I kinda love it when Tay and/or Gunsmile advertise anything on any of the reality TV stuff GMMTV does, hilarity almost always ensures.
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