Sweden Just Listed Itself on Airbnb in Its Latest Inspired Tourism Stunt
Campaign invites all to sample the 'freedom to roam'
At nearly 173,000 square miles, the country of Sweden is a little bit bigger than your average apartment or mountain house.
But true innovation knows no physical or virtual boundaries, and the official tourism group Visit Sweden proved that point this week by listing the entirety of Scandinavia’s largest country on Airbnb.
Curious globe-trotters with a penchant for fresh air can explore everything from the Smygehuk Headland at Sweden’s southern tip to the northernmost monuments of Three-Country Cairn, where Sweden meets its Norwegian and Finnish neighbors.
This brilliant campaign by Forsman & Bodenfors, the formerly independent Gothenburg agency behind Volvo’s “Epic Split” campaign that was acquired by MDC Partners last year, wouldn’t really work without the freedom to roam.
Allemansrätt, which roughly translates to “the right of public access,” is an established part of Sweden’s constitution allowing both locals and visitors to access any land (with the obvious exception of private residences) within a certain distance of a “dwelling house” or farm plot.
“This right enables the Swedish people to experience nature and enjoy the beautiful Swedish wildlife,” said Visit Sweden U.S. manager Jenny Kaiser. “In Sweden, we have everything from high mountains to deep forests, from beautiful archipelagos to quiet meadows. Now, together with Airbnb, we welcome everyone to come to Sweden and, through freedom to roam, share our wonderful nature.”
“Sweden on Airbnb” is not the first creative effort to boost Swedish tourism in recent years. “The Swedish Number,” which chooses a random Swedish “ambassador” to handle every call to the number, promoted the Swedish Tourist Association and won a direct Grand Prix Lion for WPP agency Ingo at Cannes in 2016. Since 2012, Visit Sweden and the Swedish Institute have also run “Curators of Sweden,” a program managed by local agency Volontaire that hands over the reins of the official @sweden Twitter account to a new citizen every week. In February, Adweek talked to one particularly sharp young man who used his time in the hot seat to address and correct a newly elected President Trump.
“We are very excited to welcome Sweden on Airbnb for everyone to explore,” said Airbnb general manager for Northern Europe James McClure, describing the partnership as “a first of its kind collaboration between a tourism board and Airbnb.”
Of course, nothing is truly free. Interested parties can scroll past the fictional listings inspired by places like this “magnificent rocky island located in the Stockholm archipelago” to find legitimate Airbnb rentals with more market-appropriate prices.
CREDITS
Agency: Forsman & Bodenfors
Client: Visit Sweden
Title: “Sweden on Airbnb”
Team at Visit Sweden: Jennie Skogsborn Missuna, Peter Holmberg, Jonas Overödder och Lotta Thiringer, Jenny E Kaiser, President Visit Sweden US
Account Directors: Ann Spennare Bengtsson, Olle Victorin
Art Director: Johan Eghammer, Johanna Hofman-Bang, Ted Mellström, Josefin Roxeheim
Copywriter: Marcus Hägglöf, Pontus Levahn, Agnes Uggla
Writer: Lycke Ramel
Designer: Johan Fredriksson
Account manager: Johanna Bringefält
Agency Producer: Jens Odelbring
Digital Producer: Peter Gaudiano
PR Strategist: Robert Johnsson
Planner: Daniel Sjöstrand
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