On just the second day of Thailand’s hosting of the Miss Universe pageant this year, tension is already brewing between the local organizing committee and the international pageant organization, with talk of a legal action being considered.
After the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) issued a statement declaring as ‘not authorized’ a social media campaign launched by the team of Nawat Itsaragrisil, they also came up with their own statement saying it is on top of Thailand’s hosting of the pageant, and has full authority to mount such campaign.
The ongoing online voting includes a supposed special dinner, with the leading delegates winning limited seats to the engagement.
‘In reference to the recent announcement by MUO, we would like to clarify that the ‘Like’ voting campaign on social media is part of the official marketing package authorized for the Host Country,’ the Thai committee said in a statement released on Monday, Nov. 3.
The Thai organizing committee said it holds ‘the rights to manage and execute such promotional activities within our territory’ as the host organization.
‘This activity is a collaboration with our valued sponsors, whose generous support has made it possible to deliver such a world-class event as everyone has witnessed. The voting process is a fair and transparent selection method designed to determine which delegates will participate in specific activities among a large number of contestants,’ the Thai committee continued.
Nawat is the president and founder of the Miss Grand International, another international beauty pageant brand. During Anne Jakrajutatip’s management of MUO, Nawat managed to acquire a stake in her company JKN Global Group, and was appointed MUO’s vice president for Asia and Oceania. The Thai mogul likewise acquired the franchise to stage the Miss Universe Thailand pageant until 2029.
When Jakrajutatip stepped down in June, MUO was left to her co-owner, Raul Rocha, who retains his post as president of the organization.
Special dinner, talk show
On the first day of Thailand’s hosting of the 74th Miss Universe, Nawat launched a social media campaign where the Top 10 candidates with the most likes on their solo portraits will have a ‘special dinner and talk show’ with him. The portraits are found on the official Facebook and Instagram accounts of Miss Universe Thailand.
This did not sit well with the new MUO management, now under Guatemalan Mario Bucaro, which fired the first shot through a statement that said it did not authorize the dinner and talk event.
‘Any independent or third-party activity using the Miss Universe name, logo, marks, or related branding without prior written authorization is considered a violation of intellectual property rights and brand integrity,’ it stated.
The activity in question is similar to what Nawat does in his Miss Grand International pageant, where fans are made to vote for their bets, with the leading delegates gaining spots for a dinner with him and the reigning queen.
MUO said, ‘any promotional materials, contests, or voting initiatives currently circulating online under the Miss Universe name, including those associated with the aforementioned event, are unauthorized and misleading.’
The pageant organization further advised the public that all official announcements and voting initiatives will be found ‘exclusively’ on its verified channels-www.missuniverse.com and @missuniverse on Instagram or ‘Miss Universe’ on Facebook.
‘[MUO] reserves all legal rights to take appropriate action against any individual, company, or entity found to be using its intellectual property, trademarks or brand assets without permission, including but not limited to the Miss Universe name logo, imagery, or official event designations,’ continued the statement.
Legalities
The Thai committee said the MUO’s announcement resulted in public misunderstanding. ‘We will forward this matter to our legal team for review regarding any potential impact on our Thai sponsors and will immediately pursue appropriate legal action in response if necessary,’ its statement added.
This is the fourth time that Thailand is hosting the Miss Universe pageant. The last time the competition was held in the Southeast Asian nation was in 2018 when the Philippines’ Catriona Gray won the crown.
More than 120 ladies are competing this year to succeed reigning Danish queen Victoria Kjær Theilvig. The coronation show is scheduled on Nov. 21 at the Impact Challenger Hall in Nonthaburi, northwest of Bangkok.
Pageant veteran Ahtisa Manalo hopes to post the Philippines’ fifth Miss Universe victory.