Film > Culture & Context

UNDER MY SKIN

OGILVY, Bangkok / THAI LIFE INSURANCE CO. / 2024

Awards:

Bronze Cannes Lions
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Overview

Credits

Overview

Why is this work relevant for Film?

“Under My Skin” addresses the cultural issue of bullying, which creates scars on millions of children while remaining unacknowledged. The film tells the story of a girl who is a victim of vicious name-calling and who nonetheless decides to stand up for what she thinks is right with a key message, “the only thing people will remember them for will be their actions, not their external qualities.” The film employs a dramatic approach to spur the emotions of Thai people with the unstated reality, along with a storytelling method which keeps viewers guessing through the eyes of the victim.

Please provide any cultural context that would help the Jury understand any cultural, national or regional nuances applicable to this work.

Thailand has the second highest reported cases of bullying in the world. Every year, 40% of total number of students are bullied, with 91.79% being between the ages of 10 and 15. Verbal bullying is the most common form. 76.6% of incidents are related to appearance, leading to depression, dropout and suicide.

This partly stems from an ingrained culture of name-calling which demeans people based on physical appearance. Such characteristics include being too fat or too small, too tall or too short, having a darker or lighter skin tone than others, or identifying as non-binary. Media such as Thai dramas and comedy shows have long portrayed this as something people could laugh at. Elementary school textbooks also include exercises which teach students on what is ugly and what is beautiful based on skin colour and appearance. This abnormal practice has been normalised, seen as harmless teasing by the perpetrators and society at large.

Media: This situation often leads to suicide, revenge, and depression, and when a serious incident hits the headlines, the issue is widely discussed in the media and then kept quiet until it happens again.

Law: Unlike Japan, which has the highest incidence of school bullying, there is no law promoting measures to prevent child bullying in schools in Thailand.

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

“Under My Skin” addresses the cultural issue of bullying, which creates scars and long-term impact on millions of children throughout generations while remaining unacknowledged. We decided to communicate the idea through a controversial story to silence the ‘loud’ labels that inflict wounds and make victims question their own values, shifting towards a culture that encourages them to stand up for themselves. The film tells the story of a girl who is a victim of vicious name-calling and who nonetheless decides to stand up for what she thinks is right with a key message, “the only thing people will remember them for will be their actions, not their external qualities.” The film employs a dramatic approach to spur the emotions of Thai people with the unstated reality, along with a storytelling method which keeps viewers guessing through the eyes of the victim.

Background:

Thai Life Insurance has been with Thais for generations and has its own brand purpose centered on the "Value of Life. Value of Love”. For 81 years, the brand has pursued its vision of becoming a leading brand that inspires every life and people of all backgrounds. Therefore, the film was created to inspire Thai people and society to adhere to the brand's beliefs and embrace the true intrinsic value in life rather than the external values in a contemporary context.

Describe the Impact:

“Under My Skin'' succeeded in inspiring and igniting this under-recognised topic among viewers of all ages, with positive results. The audience acknowledged that this is an unrecognised topic worth discussing, related to their own experience or that of a close friend or relative, and that it can be a trigger for the call to action they want to give to their children and share their experience online after viewing the content to encourage people to stand up for themselves when they are being bullied and find value in their own actions rather than external values.

Please tell us about the social behaviour and cultural insight that inspired the work.

Thailand has the second highest reported cases of bullying in the world. Every year, 40% of total number of students are bullied, with 91.79% being between the ages of 10 and 15. Verbal bullying is the most common form. 76.6% of incidents are related to appearance.

This partly stems from an ingrained culture of name-calling which demeans people based on physical appearance. Such characteristics include being too fat or too small, too tall or too short, having a darker or lighter skin tone than others, or identifying as non-binary. Media such as Thai dramas and comedy shows have long portrayed this as something people could laugh at. Elementary school textbooks also include exercises which teach students on what is ugly and what is beautiful based on skin colour and appearance. This abnormal practice has been normalised, seen as harmless teasing by the perpetrators and society at large.

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