Celebrities and beer promotion tend to go hand in hand, but the recent campaign by Chang beer, involving seven high-profile Thai celebrities, has left a bad taste in some people’s mouths.
Pakorn “Dome” Lam and six other big-name celebrities such as Virithipa “Woonsen” Pakdeeprasong, Waranchaya “Ja” Chindarakwong and Nontaporn “Ying Yae” Teerawatanasuk, appeared on Chang’s website to promote the beer’s new bottle colour recently.
Pakorn, who was arrested for a drink driving accident that left two people dead in 2001, has been slammed on social media for posting a photo of himself on Instagram pouring Chang beer, with the label clearly showing and a caption saying, “Let’s the party begins”, reported the Bangkok Post.
Pakorn denies he was paid to post the photo.
“Some celebrities hold two or three bottles and somehow the [Chang] labels just perfectly face the camera,” a Facebook user commented.
Netizens have questioned the tactics behind the campaign, especially as Section 32 of the Alcohol Control Act bans anyone from advertising alcoholic drinks and from showing the names and logos of alcoholic drinks to promote them.
Violators may face a jail term of up to one year and/or a fine of up to 500,000 baht, or a daily fine of 50,000 baht throughout the period of violation.
Celebrities sharing photos on Instagram of them drinking Chang in what seems to be a bid to encourage the public to drink the beer has raised suspicions about the campaign, according to Songkran Pakchokdee, director of the Stop Drink Network.
“It’s not a good idea as they are role models for youth,” said Songkran. “Such photos also give the celebrities a bad image,” he added.
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Wichian “DJ Petjah” Kusolmanomai and Poomjai “DJ Poom” Tangsanga, said they have been working with Chang and are good friends, while also denying they were paid for the Instagram posts.
