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This is one of three oversize static infomercial movie posters at the Thonglor station that greet the denizens of Bangkok as they await their rail ride. The response from consumers has been fantastic- I've seen many people casually walk up to the posters and give ten to twenty seconds of their time to reading each one. There's plenty of media to digest (several photos, main posters, full paragraph of text) and it is so much more unobtrusive than the 40" plasma screens blaring commercials at some of the other stations.
Why do these posters work so well here in Thailand, and why have they never been introduced in the USA?
Update Adam back in Michigan has a good theory:
Never seen something like it here. International marketing is generally more "explanatory" than domestic stuff. I'm not sure why, but my best guess is that the American public is just way, way more educated and informed about movies in general. That is, thru TV shows, dedicated TV stations (ie E!), magazines, pay TV, etc etc. It's like, if you're in Thailand you might need a little accompanying explanation as to what "The Hulk" is, but if you're in the US and haven't heard of it you're a shithead who lives in a cave.
One of my responsibilities here at work is to analyze a proposed installation of wireless internet access within dining locations of a popular fast food chain that recently expanded to Thailand. The company that was chosen to install and manage the hotspots has grandiose plans to cheaply run their backbone connections through Thaicom's iPSTAR Broadband Satellite System. (The iPSTAR will be huge news in the satellite world- if it ever launches- as it will be equipped to cover a large part of Asia with approximately 45 gigabits of total bandwidth.) Because Thaicom has a monopoly on broadband internet connections in Thailand, and because this new hotspot company is a Thaicom subsidiary, the amount which they were able to underbid competing Bangkok companies for this project was phenomemal.
I agree with this summary of a recent Forrester Research report that says most of the money being pumped into public wireless hotspots today is being wasted. Another recent report says that hotspots are "almost a textbook case of effective repurposing of technology", and that the highest potential WiFi profit centers are hotels and major airports. (FYI, forty two percent of laptops shipped this year will have built-in wireless.) The primary reason we are looking at wireless here is to establish the restaurant brand with a trendy technology and garner a little press; luckily, Thaicom will bear the long-term risk.
Last summer I was very interested in what I continue to believe is an overlooked yet significant potential profit center for WiFi: medium- to long-term stay multiple dwelling units, such as currently unwired luxury apartment complexes. Open wireless spectrum can enable local ISPs to compete where Roadrunner has previously dominated- and with faster speeds, to boot.
Above, a picture of two favorite office perks: Some sort of delicious Asian after-lunch fruit, and my Nokia 8310.
I noticed that the sky had turned abnormally dark when the thunder started five minutes ago. There's an access door in the 16th floor server room that leads to the only outside pavilion between ground and roof, so I squeezed in with some of the tech support guys going to brave the winds for a better look. Immediately after opening the door, the blinds flew out onto the landing, and I could tell by their growing excitement that I was probably about to see my first hard rain. Bangkok’s rough pollution stings a little worse when its coming at you with high speed, so we didn’t spend a lot of time out there. Now I’m back inside and a little wet, and a lot exhilarated, trying to relate an energy of five or six million when it suddenly turns black over Asia’s City of Angels.
Nick Drake - Pink Moon
Panda - Twenty String EP
Low - Things We Lost in the Fire
A Silver Mount Zion - He Has Left Us Alone...
God Speed You Black Emperor - Skinny Fists (disc 2)
The Postal Service - Give Up
Mum - Yesterday Was Dramatic Today is Ok
In other gloat-worthy personal news, I happen to have a confirmed dental rarity: perfect fully erupted wisdom teeth. Send me your congrats here!
(a) a grain-like substance sowed throughout modern-day fertile grounds
(b) the phonetic pronunciation of Japan's first commercial 3G service provider
(c) the replacement word for cash lottery used within Enron Corporation training videos
(d) large, round spools of wild horse hide that Arizona miners used to make evening pants