![For the first time with full OC support [Bericht]](https://www.pcgameshardware.de/screenshots/original/2024/06/AMD-Ryzen-9000-pcgh_artwork9.jpg)
“I won't come here” – Oslo delights the Internet with new ads
The Norwegian city pokes fun at itself in a tourist video and presents its advantages skillfully and with dry humour.
Here you will find additional external content. If you consent to cookies being set by third-party service providers and that personal data is therefore transferred to third-party service providers, you can allow all cookies and view external content directly.
“I wouldn’t come here, to be honest,” begins the commercial for the tourism organization Visit Oslo. “I mean, is it a city?” asks the protagonist Halfdan, sitting comfortably in the meadow.
The video of the Norwegian capital is currently arousing the interest of the Internet, and therefore should achieve its goal: attracting people to Oslo. The ad thrives on simplicity and dry humour, both of which are popular in Norway.
The local Halfdan doesn't seem enthusiastic about his city at all, but he does indirectly praise its virtues, disguised as supposed weaknesses in contrast to the crowded cities of Europe.
Anne-Signe Fagereng, Head of Marketing at Visit Oslo, He explained to the travel news portal “Skift”The announcement aims to highlight Oslo's status as an outlier in Europe, especially in times of excessive tourism in popular cities such as Venice and Barcelona.
In the video, Halfdan walks past the city's landmarks, looking bored as he looks at his cell phone as if there is nothing to see. For the entire 100 seconds, the background is the secret star: Akershus Castle, the Nobel Peace Center, the Edvard Munch Museum or the Maritime Museum.
At one point, Halfdan sits in front of the former American embassy, takes a picture and says dryly that it was built by “an American architect.” It is a building designed by Eero Saarinen, one of the most famous architects of the 20th century.
The protagonist Halfdan simply says of one of the city's most famous architectural buildings: “It was built by an American architect.” The American architect is Finnish immigrant Eero Saarinen, and there's probably another side twist hidden in that
“the culture?” “I don't know,” Halfdon asks himself with a yawn, as the sun sparkles behind him. There is nothing exclusive here, “everything is very accessible,” Halfdon says. The Norwegian asks himself if something is worth seeing if you don't have to wait in line for hours to see it, while wandering through different museums.
He looks at the artwork skeptically, stops in front of the picture and sighs. “This is not exactly the Mona Lisa,” he says, while Edvard Munch's “The Scream” can be seen in the background – also one of the most famous paintings in the world. Perhaps the subtle announcement goes a little further, because a version of the “Mona Lisa” can also be seen in the National Gallery in Oslo.
“This isn't exactly the Mona Lisa,” Halfdan says with a sigh, while Edvard Munch's “The Scream” can be seen in the background.
This type of humor is shown throughout the video. Halfdan sits in a Turkish bath and asks the photographer: “Have you ever been to Istanbul?” He charmingly pronounces it in Norwegian as “Istanbul.” The reference is to the “graffiti” on Hagia Sophia from the 9th century. One of the Vikings wrote “Halfdan was here” on the walls. With a little background knowledge, it becomes clear why the protagonist in the Oslo video is called that.
Halfdan sits by the sea with his bag and wonders why people go swimming in the middle of the city. “This is disgusting,” he says. It's probably mostly cold. Not even the manufacturers themselves know why the bag bearing the shape of Canadian milk appears so prominently in the video. The Toronto company wrote on Instagram that it is happy, but is currently sold. A new batch is in preparation.
Here you will find additional external content. If you consent to cookies being set by third-party service providers and that personal data is therefore transferred to third-party service providers, you can allow all cookies and view external content directly.
Back to Halfdan, who is still suffering from the fact that his city is not exclusive enough. Sometimes, he walks into a restaurant and gets a table right away, he complains. He's not even famous and at the same time, he's playing chess on his cell phone, which is undoubtedly a reference to Norwegian chess genius Magnus Carlsen.
“What does that say?” Halfdan asks about the lack of waiting in his city. One would think people would rather wait in line for hours if everyone keeps flocking to the same places despite overtourism, this is implied. In Halfdan's view, Oslo suffers from a “deficit.” “The city should make it more difficult for tourists,” he recommends. It's like a good relationship, it shouldn't be easy.
Icon of humor in the video: Halfdan stands on the viewing platform at Ekebergparken, the city skyline behind him – and the disinterested Norwegian prefers to look at his cell phone.
This simple yet ridiculous act, the video was viewed millions of times within two days and the humor was celebrated. Many people write in the comments that they definitely want to go to Oslo now.
Under suspicion
Get basic information on current court cases affecting Switzerland.
More newsletters
Found an error? Report now.
“Tv specialist. Friendly web geek. Food scholar. Extreme coffee junkie.”
More Stories
Passengers in Spain collapse due to huge delays
Holiday in Italy and Greece: Tourists should be careful here
Italy: Does Giorgia Meloni have a Nazi problem among the party's youth? -News