Sammakorn sold houses by mocking its mix-up with the tax office

Sammakorn, a Thai housing developer, had a recognition problem: its name is nearly identical to Sanpakorn, the country's revenue department. People messaged the developer about tax filing, its own employees were mistaken for tax collectors, and brand awareness stayed low.

Agency Choojai and Friends answered with 'Sammakorn NOT Sanpakorn', a self-mocking online film in which a Sammakorn employee, worn down by endless mix-ups, finally lets out all her frustration while repeating the key message that Sammakorn is not the tax office — it sells houses. The developer's products appear inside the story without feeling like an ad.

The campaign pushed the topic to social media, inviting people to share their own name-confusion stories, and more than 40 influencers and other brands joined in. The film drew over 7.6 million views and more than 4 million engagements.

Sammakorn's brand recall and active seeking reportedly rose by over 80%, the fastest growth among real-estate brands in Thailand, and the work won the Film Grand Prix at Spikes Asia 2024, a Gold at Cannes and a Silver at the London International Awards.

Answer the name mix-up with self-mockery, not denial

Self-mockery disarms the audience: admitting the flaw makes the brand feel honest instead of defensive.

Name confusion was a shared national pain point, so inviting personal stories gave the campaign free organic fuel.

Repeating the correction inside a funny story fixes the memory without lecturing.

The film spoke in a Thai cultural idiom where humour around names is familiar territory.

A weakness that cannot be hidden can become the campaign: naming the confusion with humour gives people a reason to share it and fixes the misperception by repetition.

The campaign turned a crippling name confusion into a signature brand moment: recall and active seeking grew by more than 80%, making Sammakorn the fastest-growing real-estate brand in Thailand. The film took the Film Grand Prix at Spikes Asia 2024, a Gold Lion at Cannes and a Silver at the London International Awards.