VisitOSLO’s new, viral campaign downplays its city’s appeal with dry humor and
an understated production style — and highlights a growing trend in
values-driven tourism marketing.
“I wouldn’t come here, to be honest,” a man intones as people in the background
gleefully jump off a boat into the harbor behind him. “Oslo is just not … I
mean, is it even a city?”
So begins VisitOSLO’s latest campaign video — which
has been widely praised in global media as a “refreshing
angle,”
“instant
classic”
and one “redefining destination
marketing”
from the Scandinavian city that “just won the
internet”.
It highlights many of the most appealing aspects of Norway’s capital city
while a local resident named Halfdan, played by actor Bendik
Aunan, deadpans about how unimpressive
the city is. Among his many gripes: Its lack of exclusiveness, “village” vibe
and walkability.
The ad isn’t filled with flashy artsy shots or distracting music. Instead,
viewers are treated to a taste of Oslo’s understated appeal, backed by Halfdan’s
ironic commentary.
Commenting on Oslo’s culture, he asks, “If you don’t have to stand in line for
at least a couple of hours, is it even worth seeing?” And, standing in front of
what is arguably Norway’s most famous painting — Edvard Munch’s “The
Scream” — he sighs and says, “It’s
not exactly the ‘Mona Lisa.’”
“Using humor in an international campaign is never completely risk-free; but
fortunately, we have received an enormous amount of positive interest after just
one weekend,” Anne-Signe Fagereng,
VisitOSLO’s director of marketing, told
NewsLab
— the Oslo-based agency it worked with to create the ad — in late June.
Released June 24, the video instantly caught people’s attention and went viral —
with millions of views and comments across social media.
“I am thrilled that this new campaign to strengthen Oslo's standing as a
destination is proving a hit with our international audience — with huge reach
and engagement across Meta and TikTok,” Fagereng shared on
LinkedIn.
The campaign isn’t only garnering attention across social media. Those working
in the tourism industry have also noted its cheeky understatedness.
“We like that it has a dark approach,” Torunn
Tronsvang, founder of
luxury-travel curator Up Norway, told Sustainable
Brands® (SB). “It appears clever and thought-provoking; and is perceived
entertaining, judging by the number of our guests who’ve seen it and commented
on it.”
VisitOSLO has placed the “Is it even a city?” campaign front and center on its
website, inviting people to learn more about the
sites appearing in the
video. Among the “unimpressive” places are the Oslo Opera House, the
National Museum and the Vigeland Museum; as well as cultural hub and
foodie hotspot Oslobukta, and
Akerselva — a river
that flows through the city, known for its variety of recreational
opportunities.
“It’s refreshing to see a values-led campaign that isn’t commoditizing the
travel experience. I sense I’m not alone in feeling this way and perhaps that’s
why this piece has received a lot of attention,” Rodney
Payne, CEO of destination-marketing
consultancy Destination Think!, told SB —
pointing to a growing trend toward more intentional destination
marketing
that prioritizes the wellbeing of destinations and their communities, along with
traveler experiences, to help mitigate the impacts of
overtourism.
“I hope we will look back and see this was just the tip of the iceberg of what’s
possible as host communities take a stand for what it is they value.”
This isn’t the first Scandinavian tourism ad to use humor to catch potential
travelers’ interest. In 2023, a Visit Sweden
campaign
focused on the many ways that it is not the same as Switzerland.
“Playing on humor is not always easy — especially not across national borders.
Fortunately, it seems that we have hit a nerve,”
noted
Linn Isaksen, NewsLab's
adviser on the VisitOSLO campaign. Indeed, it does seem that way.
Sitting outside a cafe, framed by a yellow door, Halfdan sips a beverage and
closes the one-minute-45-second ad by saying, “I think a city should feel a
little hard to get. It’s like a good relationship, you know? It’s not supposed
to be easy.”
If putting Oslo on more travelers’ radar was the goal, then, yes — it is that easy.
Published Jul 12, 2024 8am EDT / 5am PDT / 1pm BST / 2pm CEST
JoAnna Haugen is a writer, speaker and solutions advocate who has worked in the travel and tourism industry for her entire career. She is also the founder of Rooted — a solutions platform at the intersection of sustainable tourism, social impact and storytelling. A returned US Peace Corps volunteer, international election observer and intrepid traveler, JoAnna helps tourism professionals decolonize travel and support sustainability using strategic communication skills.
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