When Editor Witit, the handsome character from the humor cartoon series, donned the role of host in the cartoon clip for the "True Story Today" program, he started the show by discussing rumors circulating in many areas of Thailand about a business that invested only a few thousand baht but yielded millions in profit. He then introduced Mr. Job, the owner of the business, as a guest on the show.
"Just invest with me, and I'll give you financial freedom. You'll be so rich you'll be begging for mercy," Job's short, enticing invitation, used the desire for wealth to lull Editor Witit into a state of bliss, almost giving him his piggy bank.
Ring!!! Before Editor Witit could fall victim, the phone rang. It was his beloved wife, warning him to check carefully before investing. Editor Witit then had Job explain the origins of the business, which eventually turned out to be a pyramid scheme, followed by an exchange between the two of them.
Editor Witid: "I'm sorry, but my money is safe."
Mr. Job: "A bank, huh?"
Editor Witid: "Hmm, my wife only gives me 150 baht a day for food."
The familiar cartoon character, Editor Witid from Khai Hua Rao (a Thai humor magazine), brings lighthearted humor to the episode of "Today's Real Stories," titled "Investing a Thousand Baht, Earning Tens of Thousands or Hundreds of Thousands." The episode subtly incorporates knowledge and advice on proper investment methods to prevent Thais from falling victim to pyramid schemes or online gambling websites, as many have experienced. This is similar to the 10-episode series "Today's Real Stories," which addresses fake news, misconceptions, and common misunderstandings across health, investment, and history. Produced as part of the "Know the Facts, Then Share" project by the Khai Hua Rao team, with funding from the Strategic Media Development Fund in 2022, the series uses familiar cartoon characters to communicate meaningful information in short, three-minute episodes with a lighthearted and easy-to-understand format.
"The team believes that our cartoons, with their various characters and large fan bases across the country, are a very effective soft power tool for communicating socially beneficial messages. They're not just for entertainment; they're also a tool for conveying meaningful and useful information to society, using cartoons, humor, and cartoon characters that appeal to all ages to help people understand and connect with the message more effectively."
Pimphicha Utsahajit, head of the "Know the Facts, Then Share" project, explained the strengths of using cartoon characters to communicate with people in society, dispelling doubts and preventing them from falling victim to fake news in a cute and easy-to-understand way.
That's why, after the animated clips of the "True Story Today" series, hosted by Editor Witit, totaling 10 episodes, were released on the Khai Hua Rao YouTube channel with millions of subscribers, as well as being shared on TikTok and Facebook, the response was overwhelming. This was evident in the activities that encouraged people to comment before the clips were released, inviting them to share their experiences with fake news. After each episode was released, games or questions were posted for viewers to participate in, which garnered significant attention. While the goal was only a hundred thousand views, the total views across all platforms exceeded one million.
“We are happy to have done this project because we believe it has been truly beneficial to the audience. Even now that the project is over, we still look back at the cartoon clips we made and feel that they were genuinely useful, especially when we read the comments. At first, we didn't expect the feedback to be this good. Fans commented praising how well we did it, saying they felt the content was educational. Some even commented that they would show it to their parents and wanted us to produce more content like this. Some even downloaded our cartoon clips and shared them in LINE groups or other channels that weren't our official channels, which is actually copyright infringement. However, as a non-profit media producer, we wanted to reach a wider audience and use this content to benefit people in all ways. On the other hand, it also proves that there are people who see the real benefits, who follow the content and find it useful to them.”
Pimphicha proudly recounted the success of this animated video series, especially the character Editor Witid, who played the role of the protagonist. He conveyed the team's intended message to a wider audience, helping Thais understand and combat fake news in a lighthearted way, just as Khai Hua Rao (a Thai humor magazine) has brought smiles and happiness to Thais for the past 50 years.
You can watch it on YouTube, Khai Hua Rao (Laughing Stock).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAK3dkI6maQ&list=PL2AY1TpITmN9KbSY2ug9bcog4uXaiKxtb
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