In a bid to stand out from the usual online content, IcelandAir has launched a humorous promotional campaign to find the world’s worst photographer and treat them to a series of outdoor adventures in Iceland that will feature in marketing activities during and after the trip.
Calling out to prospective participants, the airline’s advertising campaign declares: “We want to prove that even the worst photographer can take great photos of Iceland. Is that you?” To apply, candidates must have no professional photography background, no special interest in learning photography, and be “comfortable using a phone or basic camera without overthinking it.”
Leaning into the “world’s worst” concept as well as trends for authenticity that reject overly curated destinations, the rules also state that would-be applicants must be “frequently disappointed with your own photos,” and “occasionally surprised when a photo turns out okay.” What’s more, in a tongue-in-cheek twist, the hapless winner will need to be “ready to be internationally recognized for your unique photography style.”
The national flag carrier’s campaign appears to share DNA with the approach adopted by award-winning Comedy Roundtable podcaster, Greipur Hjaltason, whose content about his homeland takes a dry, comedic angle, exploring the peculiarities of Icelandic life, weather, and parenting, with a deadpan, almost melancholic style.
A “Spirit of Iceland” video explains that the country’s citizens combine a sense of hubris that makes them believe they can “do anything and do it tomorrow” as well as an “inferiority complex” and that this dual attitude “can either kill you or make you famous.”
To apply for the IcelandAir challenge that brings this contradictory personality together, participants are invited to answer six multiple-choice questions online, including: “How would you describe your photography skills? Truly awful; Quite bad; Bad but I’m enthusiastic; Occasionally okay; Above average.”
As well as being asked to rate their English skills, the application also requires candidates to upload a 60-second audition tape, explaining in one minute why their lack of skill makes them ideal for the task at hand. The winner will receive a 10-day trip to Iceland, including flights, accommodation, transportation, and a whopping fixed fee payment of US$50,000 for their photographs, content, and participation.
Any hopefuls will need to be 21 years of age or older, in possession of a valid passport and legally able to travel to Iceland, the UK and the USA, physically capable of the planned activities, and have no disqualifying criminal or legal issues.
