Hear from Silvia Lemos, graduate of the Sookio Bootcamp. She's exploring how Inspired by Iceland is luring in holidaymakers with the promise of having a good scream.

In July 2020, Promote Iceland launched an attention-grabbing campaign that asked people to release their frustrations with a scream. This campaign, developed by the Inspired by Iceland brand, showcases a unique perspective on how to capture the attention of the public during a global pandemic.

What makes this campaign so remarkable?

For one thing, the video is wonderfully creative. Featuring a stream of people screaming in various locations, this one-minute video gives us an unexpected answer to the question of how to cope with the emotionally taxing summer of 2020: Iceland.

The campaign is as unique as it is timely. With the pressure of the pandemic and the frustrations of months of lockdown, we all need a means of escape.

Participation is encouraged!

People are called to participate by recording their own scream. The landing page includes clear instructions on how to do so, as well as information on why therapists see screaming as a powerful tool to release emotions. The recordings are featured on the website, as well as broadcast live in one of seven Icelandic locations.

What makes this campaign so effective?

There are many factors that contribute to making this unusual campaign memorable. The relevant nature of the content contributes to this. Moreover, it makes the viewers feel invested in the product they are being sold. By offering an opportunity to have their voices broadcast with a few simple steps, many feel compelled to participate and share, using the campaign hashtag #LetItOutIceland. As a result, the campaign reaches a broader audience.

After spending a few minutes on the website and hearing a handful of screams in real time, I found myself wanting to stay on the website for longer. Not only were the real time screams interesting, but also the beautiful Icelandic landscapes featured made me want to actually visit Iceland.

“Looks Like You Need Iceland”

Ultimately, the campaign is successful because its content is perfectly appropriate for the target audience: avid travellers. After drawing viewers to the website and catching their eye with stunning views, they give the viewers a wealth of information on the various regions of the country.

Inspired by Iceland categorises their target audience into three groups:

The fun-loving globetrotter
The independent explorer
The cultural comfort speaker

The playful but instructive tone of the language used throughout the campaign is suitable for all three of these groups.

How does Let It Out compare to previous Iceland content?

Taking into account the content that has been previously produced by Inspired by Iceland, we can see the tone of voice is consistent throughout. For instance, the Iceland Academy series is tongue-in-cheek and human. Using that same voice on the newer content makes for a very cohesive image, which is another positive.

What response did the campaign get?

This campaign was posted across different social media, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:

The campaign video received over 7M views and 1.2K likes on YouTube
The same video has 108K views and 643 reactions on Facebook
It currently has 373K views and 1.1K likes on Twitter

YouTube seems to have achieved better results, though it is not possible to compare the views and reactions with Instagram. It would also be interesting to see where the traffic to the website is coming from, and whether it’s consistent with the engagement we see here.

There is another way the success of this campaign could be measured: the number of screams submitted to the website. However, there does not seem to be a count displayed on the website, and therefore this information cannot be accessed.

Since the ultimate goal of the campaign is to increase the number of visits to Iceland, it is hard to measure its direct impact. Whether this number increases or decreases, it will be influenced by a variety of factors other than the Let It Out campaign.

What could have been better?

Not every response to the campaign was positive. Some posted snide remarks about contributing to noise pollution.

What could Promote Iceland have done to avoid this? Having input from an expert would have helped; for instance, someone in the tourism sector in one of these locations could have provided insight into how this noise is actually regarded as interesting and special.

While Promote Iceland have not addressed this particular concern, they have used professional expertise to prevent one other criticism. In their landing page, therapist and mental health consultant Zoë Aston emphasises the importance of seeking professional help where it is needed. This is an attempt to avoid criticism that the campaign is flippant about mental health.

What can we learn from this?

If you want to come up with a creative, effective campaign like Let It Out, then here are three things to consider:

Make it timely
Make it interactive
Make it funny

This piece was written by one of the students on our first Sookio Bootcamp, a week of remote work experience for 20 young marketers. Read the other pieces in the series about Nike LDNR and Bodyform.

Promote Iceland – Let It Out: The anatomy of a campaign