NARCOS THE CENSOR'S CUT

Short List
TitleNARCOS THE CENSOR'S CUT
BrandNETFLIX
Product / ServiceNETFLIX
CategoryG03. Single Market Campaign
EntrantWUNDERMAN THOMPSON BANGKOK, THAILAND
Idea Creation J. WALTER THOMPSON BANGKOK, THAILAND
Media Placement DENTSU X Singapore, SINGAPORE
PR VERVE Bangkok, THAILAND
Production THIS IS IT Bangkok, THAILAND
Production 2 CINESOUND Bangkok, THAILAND

Credits

Name Company Position
João Braga J. Walter Thompson Bangkok Chief Creative Officer
Park Wannasiri J. Walter Thompson Bangkok Executive Creative Director
Jiradej Penglengpol J. Walter Thompson Bangkok Associate Creative Director
Natthaphol Hirunlikid J. Walter Thompson Bangkok Senior Art Director
Veerawin Suksantinunt J. Walter Thompson Bangkok Copywriter
Chatchai Butsabakorn J. Walter Thompson Bangkok Creative Director
Yannapat Boonkate J. Walter Thompson Bangkok Art Director
Kunat Chaengcharat J. Walter Thompson Bangkok Copywriter
Prachawan Ketavan J. Walter Thompson Bangkok Director of Planning
Sakila Banyen J. Walter Thompson Bangkok Associate Planning Director
Siwakorn Seetaraso J. Walter Thompson Bangkok Communication Planner
Supannapa Traitonwong J. Walter Thompson Bangkok Managing Partner
Kunakorn Pramoolsukh J. Walter Thompson Bangkok Client Service Director
Prewprae Tirabulkul J. Walter Thompson Bangkok Account Manager
Saruttaya Mahanavarani Verve Thailand Business Group Director
Pattira Uttaranakorn Verve Thailand Senior Influencer Relations
Jiroj Mechoojit J. Walter Thompson Bangkok Production Director
Jutamas Juntasorn J. Walter Thompson Bangkok Senior Broadcast Producer
Anutra Tepakom This Is It Co., Ltd. Editor
Woott Wimalee This Is It Co., Ltd. Post Producer
Itsara Unnawasakul This Is It Co., Ltd. Flame Artist
Sakchai Kangwanprasert Cinesound Co., Ltd. Sound Engineer
Wancahi Sinprajugkul Cinesound Co., Ltd. Assistant Sound Engineer
Jessica Beaton Dentsu X Pte Ltd. Head of Business
Jaspreet Kaur Dentsu X Pte Ltd. Account Director
Keng Kheng Koh Dentsu X Pte Ltd. Media Director
Stella Tai Dentsu X Pte Ltd. Media Manager
Robin Rose Pulongbarit Dentsu X Pte Ltd. Client Services Manager

Why is this work relevant for Direct?

The launch of Narcos Mexico, one of Netflix's most popular franchises was key to drive subscriptions to the platform. The campaign got the country talking about the show and the brand like never before in Thailand. Playing with the censorship was a shortcut to people's hearts, to a point where the internet came together to help retouch our content to get it past censorship.

Background

Narcos is a flagship series of Netflix that has been aired for 2 seasons. It was a big hit in the U.S. and many other regions around the world. But the problem was no one in Thailand cared about the show because it’s irrelevant to them. And now, with the new storyline Narcos Mexico, Netflix wished to launch it with a bang. So, in order to promote the launch of Narcos Mexico, a series filled with sex, drugs, and violence, and get people hooked, we are asked to come up with a big, bold, and crazy idea.

Describe the creative idea (30% of vote)

Netflix was launching Narcos Mexico in Thailand, but to promote it in a country that censors everything - even cartoon characters’ swimsuit - was not a simple task. In Thailand, everything deemed “inappropriate” cannot be overtly revealed, even with a rating system. That’s why Thais hate censorship. And that’s also why it was so perfect for our idea. Sex, Drugs, Violence? Let the Censorship promote it for us. We submitted the ads and, as expected, they told us to cut everything they considered inappropriate content. We did as they said. Literally. And then launched the cut version out there, triggering people's curiosity and capturing the nation's attention like never before.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

Thai people are one-of-a-kind. Besides having our own language, food, culture, we also have a unique mentality: we just love to hate. Every day thousands of complaints about the government, transit system, and even weather flood the internet. So, to attract the mass audience and turn the distant Netflix into something people love, we needed to find something that Thai people all know and hate. And we found just that. The much-annoyed Thai censorship became our key to people’s hearts.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

We know that the more we hide, the more people will want to see. That’s why we used as many media we could get to show as least as possible. A week prior to the premier of Narcos Mexico on 16th November 2018, we bombarded the city with our cut advertisement. We launched our campaign first above the line, airing “cut” trailer on TV nationwide, followed by digital screens in Bangkok. Unsurprisingly, some exhibitors still found it inappropriate. So, we revised by cutting everything and launched our cut billboards, pole wraps with only warning texts in Bangkok’s prime areas. Then, as people began to capture our ads and talking about them online, we responded with online posts apologizing for not being able to advertise our content explicitly.

List the results (30% of vote)

Following the launch, our campaign made headlines in many news media including TV channels. It created an online buzz which led to a social movement where the internet came together to help retouch our ads with more ‘appropriate’ props in an effort to get it past censorship. This made “Narcos The Censor’s Cut” become one of the most successful campaigns ever for Netflix Thailand, generating over 93 million impressions with 34 million people reached. Narcos Mexico reached the popular on Netflix section in Thailand. In the end,“Narcos The Censor’s Cut” made Narcos Mexico relevant to Thai audiences in a way that no other campaign ever could.

Please tell us how you designed/adapted your campaign for the single country / region / market where it aired.

“Cut out inappropriate content” is a very common comment made by Thai censorship. So common that most advertisers would assume it beforehand and find ways to avoid the comment and the complications it entails. Just like that, no one has thought of literally cutting out inappropriate content from their ads ever before. Except us. Put simply, we designed our campaign by following the law.