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| Thailand's most popular actors Nonkul Chanon, Mario Maurer, and Gulf Kanawut are the newest brand ambassadors of TNT, adding international flavor to its "Kilig Saya" campaign. (Image Source: Rappler.com/Smart Communications) |
Smart Communications' TNT, the largest prepaid mobile brand in the Philippines, is adding international flavor to its Kilig Saya campaign as it has tapped three of Thailand's most popular actors - Mario Maurer, Nonkul Chanon, Gulf Kanawut - as its newest set of brand ambassadors during the first TNTCON2021. These three are featured in a new three-minute music video alongside young Filipino actress Sue Ramirez and with the campaign's official jingle sung by Popstar Royalty Sarah Geronimo which was unveiled during the said virtual convention via live online streaming.
TNT's intriguing move comes as more Filipino youth are starting to become fans of Thai series and films aired on television and online which paved the way for the country to give 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. Smart Communications Senior Vice-President and Consumer Wireless Business Head Jane J. Basas said, “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. 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." For Smart's First Vice-President and Prepaid Marketing Head Miriam Z. Choa, “TNT’s passion is to bring the youth together through fun and happiness. We recognize their remarkable spirit and perseverance to overcome all odds, wo 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."
Since 2007, the popularity of Thai series and films in Southeast Asia are almost at the same level as K-pop and Japanese cultures. There are also a number of Thai idols making waves as global K-pop performers. Mario Maurer is considered to be the most popular Thai actor with a massive fanbase in the Philippines and across Southeast Asia. He is known for his lead roles in 2007's Love Of Siam, the 2010 sleeper hit Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Thailand's all-time highest-grossing film Pee Mak which grossed over US$33 million in both domestic and international box office receipts. On the other hand, Nonkul Chanon is best known for his lead role in the highest-grossing Thai film of 2017 Bad Genius while Gulf Kanawut is best known in TharnType The Series, an adaptation of a popular Thai web novel.
