Don't come here?

Happy Friday, Sippers,

⚡ TL;DR | How a single spot that worked wildly better than expected inspired a multi-year character franchise, and why turning your biggest perceived flaw into your sharpest flex cuts through holiday wallpaper.

How was your week?

With the Holidays around the corner, most conversations open by asking about holiday plans. Looks like Japan is in the cards for many.

But have you ever considered going to Oslo?

If you ask a traditional tourism board that question, you already can predict the script they'll hand you. Ask Visit OSLO, and you get a very different answer: "I wouldn't come here, to be honest. I mean, is it even a city?" And nine times out of ten? That exact warning is what makes you want to book the flight immediately.

Why? Because human beings are hardwired to distrust a brochure, and they lean in the second someone drops the sales pitch.

Nobody on earth has weaponized that truth better than Visit OSLO and Norwegian creative agency NewsLab. What started as an "anti-ad" that worked far better than anyone anticipated has evolved into a multi-year masterclass, culminating in their latest holiday musical sequel.

Let's unpack.

The Spark | The Ad That Worked Better Than They Thought

For decades, destination marketing has been trapped in a sea of sameness. Swap out the logo at the end of 90% of tourism spots (infinity pools, museum montages, smiling couples clinking wine glasses while running to the sunset, I know it's a thing), and you couldn't tell if you were looking at Barcelona, Vancouver, or Sydney.

When Visit OSLO first released "Oslo is not for everyone… but maybe it is for you?", better known by its viral opening hook "Is It Even a City?", they threw the glossy postcard into the shredder.

Instead of hiring a celebrity ambassador to gush about Norway's capital, they introduced us to Halfdan: a thoroughly unimpressed local walking through Oslo in a beige trench coat, actively trying to talk you out of visiting.

For three minutes, Halfdan grumbles about everything wrong with Oslo:

• Zero Exclusivity | Everything is just so available, you know

• Too Walkable | You can just walk from one side of town to the other in like 30 minutes.

• Zero Big-City Chaos | People casually jumping into the fjord for a swim right in the middle of downtown. 

It was reverse psychology at its sharpest, and it worked wildly better than even expected.

Built on a modest regional tourism budget, the spot didn't just hit local targets; it exploded into global internet culture. It racked up tens of millions of organic views on YouTube in days, earned headlines from The Guardian to the BBC, drove a double-digit surge in international flight searches, and took home a Silver Lion at Cannes.

The Brand Principle | Self-deprecation is the ultimate flex. Only a brand that is completely secure in its product truth dares to tell you why you shouldn't buy it.

From Viral Lightning to Multi-Year Franchise: The Holiday Sequel

When an ad outperforms your wildest projections, the real test is what you do next.

Often, brand builders get bored of their own campaign way sooner than their consumer (I get it, you've been working on it for months before it streamed) and are ready for the next new thing.

Visit OSLO realized they hadn't just made a viral summer ad. They had accidentally built a beloved brand character. That runaway success inspired them to turn Halfdan into a multi-year franchise.

For their winter and holiday follow-up, "It's Totally Even a City!", they brought Halfdan back and dropped him straight into his personal circle of hell: a full-blown, retro Christmas musical.

While the entire city of Oslo bursts into cheerful, choreographed song and dance around him ("Everyone should come here! To this winter wonderland!"), Halfdan is trapped inside the musical against his will, complaining in verse:

• Bankers on Skis | "They say it's therapeutical. I say they're all delusional. Like they're living in a musical!"

• Winter Joy as a Contagion | He scowls at parks "taken over by snotty kids with sleds" while cheerful locals harass him with chorus numbers.

• The Breaking Point | Halfway through the song, Halfdan finally snaps, tears up his contract with Visit OSLO, and hops into a taxi to the airport. (Looove it, I bet the writing team had fun coming up with these)

Why does this evolution work so brilliantly?

Because by colliding the ultimate holiday cliché (the overly earnest winter fairytale) with the exact grumpy local the internet fell in love with in Part 1, Visit OSLO gets to have its cake and eat it too. They showcase every magical winter selling point, from the snow-dusted streets and ski culture to the floating saunas and festive warmth, without ever sounding like a corporate commercial.

Three Brand-Building Lessons from Halfdan

What can we steal from Oslo's playbook as we navigate peak Q4 noise and plan for the year ahead?

• Turn Your "Constraint" Into Your Moat | Every brand has something the category treats like a weakness. Stop apologizing; reframe it as the exact relief your audience is craving.

• Disarm the Room with Honesty | Radical candor builds instant credibility. When you admit what you aren't, people trust you when you show who you are.

• When Lightning Strikes, Build a Franchise | Brand builders get tired of their campaigns right when consumers finally start to recognize them. Don't, keep going.

☕ The Sip Takeaway ☕ 🍷🍸

In a season where everyone is trying to out-shine, out-spend, and out-sentiment the competition, remember that a deadpan whisper cuts through a crowded room faster than a megaphone.

• Audit Your "Flaws" | What is the one truth about our product that we usually try to hide in the fine print, that might actually be our most relatable selling point?

• Zig When the Category Zags | If your entire industry is going right, go left. 

• Let Unexpected Wins Compound | When a creative bet works better than you ever imagined, don't leave it as a one-hit wonder. Turn the spark into many.

As for me, I have "Oslooooooooooo! Is where I wouldn't go" stuck in my head. 

Until I go, 

See you next week,