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Watching TV one evening in Bangkok, I saw an advertisement for some product that I don't remember now. But, I remember the advert, due mainly to the insight it gave me about Thai manners. A group of women are in a supermarket and they all arrive at the product at the same time, but there is only one remaining on the store shelf. They stand dead still eyeing each other out. And then the scene cuts to a few minutes later ...

In South Africa this advert would end with all the women making a mad grab at the product amidst much pushing and shoving with babies in shopping cart seats staring unbelievingly at the antics of their mothers, sadly shaking their heads at the amoral example being set for them.

In America, this ad would feature a Rambo look-a-like strong arming some Taliban look-a-likes aside, while his son sat in the shopping cart waving a miniature American flag as his daddy emerged victorious from the fray with the product held high above his head. They would proceed to the check-out counter as the supermarket staff, standing at attention, lined the shopping aisles and "This Land is Your Land" blared from the supermarket public address system.

In Japan, the ad would feature a group of sumo wrestlers bumping each other around, the losers bowing politely to the victors, until only one was left to claim the product. All the while, their sons, in matching shape and costume, testing the durability of supermarket shopping carts, would be too preoccupied with their "Gameboys" to pay any attention to the training session being conducted for their benefit.

In Australia, kangaroos in cork-decorated bush hats would be so caught up in trying to kick-box each other completely out of the store, while at the same time trying to shove the product in their pouches, that they wouldn't see the sheep casually weave her way between them and take the product for herself and equally casually proceed to the check-out counter and leave while the chaotic kangaroos continued their fracas unabated.

... to two of the Thai housewives who are left. They are standing on either side of the product, which is still on the shelf, smiling and playing "Paper, Scissor, Stone" to determine who gets to buy the much sought after item.

9 November 2002

Dion Marc Delport

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