The Thingyan Festival and Creative Outdoor Advertising in Myanmar
Myanmar has every right to be referred to as the Land of Festivals due to the countless celebrations that take place all year round. Except for June and local gatherings and family-related events, almost every month has major festivals which are celebrated for several days. The colorful festivities in Myanmar made the country more popular in many tourists coming from different parts of the world.
The Thingyan Festival of Myanmar
This month of April, the whole country of Myanmar is celebrating the Thingyan Festival or commonly referred to as Water Festival which is the Burmese New Year according to the Gregorian calendar. However, this festival is also celebrated in other countries such as the Songkran in Laos, the Songkran in Thailand, the Cambodian New Year, the Sinhalese New Year of Sri Lanka and the Bihu festival of Assam state of India.
The Thingyan eve will start on the 13th and end on the 16th in which there are variety of religious activities such as observance of fasting that is having only one meal before noon, laying of offerings and alms before monks in their monasteries, and offerings of a green coconut with its stalk intact encircled by bunches of green bananas as part of ceremonial washing from the head down. When evening comes, music, song and dance, and merrymaking will be held in anticipation of the water festival.
The primary event of Thingyan Festival is marked with the firing of a water cannon into a public area. While it is being fired, people will run out to collect the water with pots and bucket, then poured over the ground, and followed by a short prayer. Similarly, it will be followed by festive activities.
In this modern day, the celebration of Thingyan Festival has fewer restrictions on gatherings. In the former capital, Yangon, the government permits crowds to gather on the Kandawgyi Pat Lann and Kabaraye Roads. Temporary water-spraying stations, known as pandals, are set up and double as dance floors. And to make it more festive and exciting, there will be more than 20 superstars celebrating at Mya Kyun Thar. They are actors – Yan Aung (Ko Yan Lay), Ye Aung, and Hein Wai Yan; actresses – May Thinzar Oo, Thet Mon Myint, Ei Chaw Po, Moe Pyae Pyae Maung, and Khin Lay Nwe; singers – Sai Sai Kham Hlaing, Ye Lay, Idiots (rock band), Phyo Pyae Sone, Lin Nit, Joker, Phoe Pyae, Thar Nge, Rio, Phyu Phyu Kyaw Thein, Ni Ni Khin Zaw, Nge Ngal Lay, and Soe Pyae Thazin.
The year-round festivities in Myanmar gave rise to different outdoor advertising by many local and even international companies. As a matter of fact, many pavilions where gatherings are held were sponsored by rich and powerful families and businesses in the country.
The Outdoor Advertising Trend in Myanmar for 2019
Since the economy has opened up, Myanmar became a fast-developing media market. An increase in total ad expenditure is expected to continue rising as more international brands enter the market and consumption plays a greater role in driving economic growth. The most common advertising categories in Myanmar are billboard ads, car ads, internet ads, print ads, radio ads, SMS ads, taxi-bus sticker ads, and TV ads.
Billboard Advertisement is the most popular
Among these, billboard advertising is the most popular as it is considered as the most effective for introducing new products. In 2012, the billboard advertising industry went out of control as many structures become an eyesore, and so, the government began to dismantle almost 1500 structures with only 700 structures were left. Perhaps, it resulted in expensive charges and more vacant spaces, especially in downtown areas. This area has an estimated 20,000 cars that pass along and has an estimated average viewership of at least 1.5 million.
Digital advertising is rising on popularity
Though billboard is said to remain in the Myanmar landscape, it is now facing challenges as many firms switched to digital platforms. This year, traditional billboard advertising is being challenged by digital options who is gaining more share in popularity especially in the younger audience who are into digital platforms. As a matter of fact, there were only 90 billboard structures that were rented out.
The dynamic way of Jetstar Airways in outdoor advertising in Myanmar
For a company to keep up with the challenges faced by using traditional billboards, it is necessary to be flexible and adaptive with the current trends. One of the leading companies in Myanmar that shows dynamic and creativity in the outdoor advertisement is Jetstar Airways or most commonly known as Jetstar.
Jetstar is an Australian low-cost airline and has headquartered in Melbourne. Sending out more than 5,000 flights to over 85 places across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and the Pacific, Jetstar always offers airline special sales, affordable fares, and exquisite travel deals to maximize the savings by its customers. This is a great and smart choice among the people of Myanmar who are always traveling as well as those local tourists and foreign visitors to the country.
Jetstar in Myanmar
Good thing, Jetstar is one of the leading airline companies that are dynamic and very flexible in terms of their outdoor advertising campaign. Just recently in Myanmar, Jetstar uses a digital billboard that is strategically located in corners of major highways to get the most possible number of daily exposure to its market. Added to these are static billboards that are well-lighted and located in many corners where many commuters are passing by – thus, a very attention-grabbing outdoor advertisement.
Perhaps, Jetstar knows that using outdoor advertising is a great way to reach out for its customers – those people who travel a lot. Similarly, this is impeccable because Myanmar has millions of visitors and local tourists due to its whole year round of festivities.
Jetstar in Cambodia
Whilst Jetstar targets many local tourist and foreigners, the company launched a very creative outdoor advertisement in Cambodia – a country that depends on tourism as the most important sector in its economy. In 2018 alone, Cambodia has 6 millions of tourism arrivals – with most visitors came from China, Vietnam, Thailand, and other nearby Asian countries. With these, Jetstar created very attractive and colorful vehicle stickers that were used by taxis and other public utility vehicles. These vehicles were the main mode of transportation of many tourists in the country.
The following are statistics of tourism in Cambodia.
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