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, deeply ingrained in Thai culture for generations, upholds the brand purpose of "Value of Life. Value of Love." Through poignant campaigns, it has sensitively addressed universal familial themes, resonating globally.

In 2022, it made history by listing on the Stock Exchange of Thailand and pioneering a Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) master plan, fostering mutual benefit between the company and the community. With an 81-year legacy, Thai Life aims to be a beacon of inclusivity, aligning with SDG goal 10: “Reducing inequalities.” To stand out amidst the clutter of sustainability branding among Thailand's listed firms, maintaining a steadfast commitment to its brand purpose is crucial.

"Under My Skin", a film as part of the exhibition, addresses the cultural issue of bullying, which creates scars and long-term impact on millions of children throughout generations – an issue which remains normalised and unacknowledged.

It aims to silence the ‘loud’ labels that inflict wounds and make victims question their own values by shifting towards a culture that encourages them to stand up for themselves.

Cultural Context 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.

Strategy Audience: The public and Thai stakeholders, including employees, sales agents, investors and partners. These include parents with children.

Insight: For the victims of such ‘teasing,’ these words wound them, leaving lifelong mental scars as they are often remembered by their demeaning names for the rest of their lives.

Strategy: Create a cultural shift which encourages bullied victims to stand up for themselves, by sharing with them the belief that the only thing people will remember them for will be their actions, not their external qualities.

This core belief in one’s own actions will hopefully become an armour for them, bolstering their confidence and shifting our cultural narrative in a healthier trajectory. We decided to communicate the idea through a controversial story in order to generate widespread discussion among Thais, especially on online platforms, starting with a public viewing of this permanent exhibition at Thai Life Experience Center Exhibition.

Creative Idea “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.

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.