Iceland’s Engaging Invitations
Owing to their unique, down to earth approach, of promoting tourism with a broad smile, Iceland has, in a relatively short space of time, come to the attention of travellers globally, as an alluringly inviting, out-of the-ordinary, holiday destination.
1. Iceland Tourism, Mission Iceland
Advertising Agency: SS+K (Stern, Shepardson & Kaminsky), New York, USA
Production Company: Pelikula, Reykjavík, Iceland
Post Production and VFX Studio: Trickshot, Reykjavík, Iceland
Directed by filmmakers Allan Sigurðsson and Hannes Þór Arason, Iceland Tourism’s ‘Mission’ commercial, entertainingly sends-up space travel trips for the privileged few that can afford them, and fanciful proposals of launching billboards into space, that would be visible from Earth.
Sigríður Dögg Guðmundsdóttir, Head of Visit Iceland, said that their campaign message was simple. “You don’t need to leave earth to have an experience that is out of this world”.
“With all of its otherworldly experiences, a trip to Iceland will take your breath away. Not literally, though. We have oxygen”.
2. Iceland Tourism, OutHorse Your Emails
Advertising Agency: SS+K, New York, USA
Production Company: Republik, Reykjavík, Iceland
Over the past several years, working from remote locations, has evolved to become a way a life for many people for whom, trying to separate their personal lives, from their working commitments, can be mentally taxing when they are expected to be readily available whenever required. The result of which, plans for taking a much needed break, are often spoiled.
Directed by filmmaker Reynir Lyngdal, the amusing out-sourcing commercial, centres on Iceland Tourism’s, innovative, holiday peace-of-mind solution, of offering Iceland’s special horses at ‘VisitOutHorseYourEmail.com’, to trot out replies to travellers’ emails, so that they don’t have to.
3. Icelandic Tourism, The Icelandverse
Advertising Agency: SS+K, New York, USA
Production Company, Pelikula, Reykjavík, Iceland
‘Icelandverse’, directed by filmmaker Allan Sigurðsson, is an entertaining parody of Mark Zuckerberg’s introduction of Meta and its ‘metaverse’ where “you’re going to be able to do almost anything you can imagine”.
Featuring a Zuckerberg lookalike named Zack Mossbergsson, as Iceland’s chief visionary officer, the ‘metaverse’ send-up, opens with the message;
“Hi and welcome to this very natural setting. Today I’d like to talk about a revolutionary approach on how to connect our world without being super weird. Icelandverse is enhanced actual reality, without silly looking headsets”.
A scene of Mossbergsson in a pool wearing much too much sunscreen, is an amusing reference to a viral video clip showing Mark Zuckerberg surfing in Hawaii, with his face covered with so much sun-block, that it looks like he’s wearing a Halloween mask.
4. Iceland Tourism, Let It Out
Advertising Agency: M&C Saatchi, London, UK
Network Partnership Agencies: SS&K, New York, USA, and Peel, Reykjavík, Iceland
Production Company: Skot Productions, Reykjavík, Iceland
Iceland Tourism’s ‘Let it Out’ pandemic lockdown initiative, was introduced on their website, with the engaging message, “You’ve been through a lot this year and it looks like you need the perfect place to let your frustrations out. Somewhere big, vast and untouched. It looks like you need Iceland”,
The integrated campaign, Inviting the Covid-weary, to record they frustrations for broadcast via outdoor speakers, in Icelands most scenic and remote regions, and receive a commemorative video of their screams being played, was spearheaded by a commercial directed by filmmaking duo Samuel Bjarki Petursson, and Gunnar Páll Ólafsson,
Notwithstanding the challenging circumstances of conceptual realisation at the time, the campaign’s resoundingly insightful effectiveness was honoured with Effie Gold Awards in 3 categories. Travel and Tourism, David vs.Goliath, and Small Budgets.