It’s not every day that a tourism board stares down its own obscurity and turns it into gold. But that’s exactly what Visit Oslo pulled off with its hilariously self-effacing campaign, “Oslo: Is It Even a City?” A tongue-in-cheek masterclass in underdog branding, the campaign didn’t just grab attention—it earned it, flipping the script on destination marketing with the kind of wry charm you don’t often see in a category full of sweeping drone shots and syrupy voiceovers.
Created by Uncle Grey, the Danish outpost of Grey Group, the campaign leans hard into self-awareness. Oslo isn’t the city with the Eiffel Tower. It’s not the home of the Colosseum. And you’re probably not daydreaming about it during your Monday morning meeting. The ads playfully poke at all the reasons people forget about Oslo—before slyly revealing all the reasons they shouldn’t.
Each ad is built around a deadpan internal monologue: “Oslo. Is it even a city?” the narrator wonders, before cutting to breathtaking nature, cutting-edge architecture, a thriving art scene, and, of course, the occasional sauna bobbing in the fjord. It’s humblebragging reimagined—ironic, authentic, and smart enough to assume the audience gets the joke.
What’s brilliant is how the campaign never tries to compete with Paris or Rome. Instead, it reframes the conversation entirely. Oslo doesn’t need to be your number one—it just needs you to look twice. And that’s what makes it feel fresh. The city isn’t trying to impress you. It’s inviting you in on the joke. That approach, as it turns out, resonates deeply in the age of influencer fatigue and polished-to-death travel vlogs.
On a technical level, the production is clean, crisp, and purposefully understated. The narration (delivered in dry, contemplative tones) does the heavy lifting, while the visuals quietly stun. The rhythm is slow but deliberate, like someone slowly realizing, wait a second… Oslo kinda rules?
“Is It Even a City?” has made serious waves. It’s been a hit on social, where millennial and Gen Z travelers have latched onto its meme-ready tone and unpretentious vibe. But it’s also earned accolades from the ad world, with a Gold at the 2024 Eurobest Awards and shortlist mentions at Cannes. Not bad for a campaign that spends half its time asking if the place even counts.
And maybe that’s the deeper genius at play here: it doesn’t just sell Oslo. It sells curiosity. It makes you want to find out for yourself what’s going on in this understated Nordic capital. It taps into the traveler’s desire to discover—not just check off boxes. In a sea of overpromises, Oslo offers a quiet nudge and a wink.
“Is it even a city?” Turns out, it’s one of the coolest questions tourism has asked in years.
Until next time—don’t just follow the map. Follow the mood.
—Julian Vega
