The northern lights are one of Iceland’s main attractions and the country has articulated its new tourism campaign around them, designed by the agencies M&C Saatchi Group and Peel. Betting on humor, the Visit Iceland organization highlights the virtues of Iceland for observing the natural phenomenon, while highlighting other peculiarities that make the country an attractive destination.
“AURORAS” is the acronym for the fictional Alliance of Ultra Reliable Observers Ready for Aurora Spotting club.
It does so with a mockumentary titled “AURORAS”, an acronym for the fictitious official fan club Alliance of Ultra Reliable Observers Ready for Aurora Spotting, that is, the Alliance of Ultra Reliable Observers Ready to Spot Auroras. This is a small group of peculiar characters who love the northern lights and encourage the rest of the world to join their club.
It consists of Nigel, played by British comedian Joe Thomas; Helga, a serious person devoted to details; and Doug, an American who seems to have found the club by chance. Together they discover the auroras in Iceland and answer questions related to them and ironically deny myths such as whether they can be turned on and off with a switch.
The campaign, activated on October 22, focuses on the northern lights as the best season for sighting them approaches. However, it highlights other factors of the country that may also encourage a visit, such as the restaurant offering, the whales or the hot springs. In this way, Visit Iceland seeks to promote winter tourism by highlighting its natural attributes.
In addition to the main audiovisual piece, the campaign invites users to be part of its fictitious alliance. To this end, it has created an entrance exam for aurora lovers and claims to offer a certificate for all those who pass. In addition, those who participate in the test will be entered into a draw for a trip to Iceland for two people to test their knowledge in person.
Likewise, a specific website has been created that collects information of interest for those interested in observing the northern lights. Thus, tips for sighting are offered, as well as other information and links related to visiting the country. The campaign has the collaboration of Iceland at Night, a website with information about the northern lights; and The Glendale App, an aurora alert and forecast app.
The ad is spreading on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.
