Visit Oslo breaks into song
Visit Oslo can’t compete with jazzier destinations, but its brand of cynicism is a sell in itself.
Visit Oslo’s ‘It's Totally Even A City’ by NewsLab is a rare sequel that's even stranger than the original.
After the viral success of 2024's ‘Is It Even A City?’, which generated millions of organic views and won international attention by highlighting Oslo's virtues through mock complaints, grumpy Oslo resident Halfdan returns.
This time, Oslo ups the ante with a full Christmas musical featuring children and locals singing, dancing tropes and a rabbit, yet somehow remaining dour.
Director August Jorfald aptly returned to direct this sequel, which is reminiscent of Tourism Australia's ‘Dundee’ campaign and New Zealand Tourism's self-aware humour, but darker and more Scandinavian.
While most destination marketing falls over itself to sell the fantasy that travellers dream about, Oslo is cannier, realising that actually, people kind of trust a cynic.
Travel light
Visit Oslo’s effort is part of a trend towards self-aware and unconventional messaging in the tourism sector.
The destination’s cynical humour leverages ‘anti-advertising’ and dry realism to build authenticity with travelers who are sceptical of anything too saccharine.
Similarly, campaigns by Visit Sweden play on less glamorous national traits to hook visitors in. The vibe here is also akin to Norway’s other recent effort.
It seems the country is creating a genre all of its own.
Visit Oslo, then, has come to represent the art of not trying too hard, but still succeeding. And they made this cynic want to visit, at least.
Credits
Client: Visit Oslo
Agency: NewsLab
Director: August Jorfald
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