The Norwegian national tourism association Visit OSLO was awarded the ICCA Best Marketing Award 63 at the 2024rd ICCA Congress in Abu Dhabi. Visit OSLO competed against the finalists, Business Events Australia and Tourism Winnipeg, with a campaign that promoted Oslo in an ironic, humorous way that actually mocked the city, while highlighting the unique qualities that make it an attractive destination.
The campaign shows how creativity, heart and storytelling can weave captivating and emotional campaigns that tell an engaging story. The theme for the 2024 Best Marketing Awards was 'Once upon a time', encouraging participants to create a narrative that conveys the fantastic story of the destination. After the presentations during the 63rd ICCA Congress, judges and delegates voted on the winner.
- Actually, we don't know why we won this award. We just let Halfdan have his way, said Kristin Guttormsen Overvaag, director of conventions and events at VisitOSLO.
Millions of views
The video took the internet by storm, even though before its launch the marketing manager worried that the "self-irony" would not be accepted by a global audience. Experts believe that the key to success is authenticity. The video follows a city dweller who doesn't understand why anyone would want to visit Oslo.
- I mean, is it even a city?, he wonders. Halfdan takes viewers on a tour of Oslo, while not being impressed by the city's walkability, quality of service, accessibility and beautiful landscapes. Despite Halfdan's lukewarm feelings towards his hometown, the ad quickly racked up millions of views and launched Oslo to the top of travelers' wish lists.
This year, ICCA received many truly amazing entries and narrowed the finalists down to three amazing organizations, all of which included humor in their entries.
The ICCA Best Marketing Award has gained a global reputation for recognizing outstanding achievements of organizations in the marketing of their products and services, according to the organization.
It calls for passion, creativity and courage for organizations to create something truly different that will set their campaign – and their brand – apart from the rest. As they point out, the received works impress them more and more with their level of imagination.
