Are you curious about Sweden? Want to learn more about the country from a random Swede? Or are you just bored and just want someone to talk to?
Then call +46 771 793 336 and listen to the velvety tones of a real Swede.
The new campaign, promoted by the Swedish Tourist Association, is intended to “spark people’s curiosity about Sweden – our culture, nature and mindset. To help us do this, we have the people of Sweden”.
It was also launched to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Sweden’s 1766 Freedom of the Press Act, believed to be the world’s first law supporting the freedom of expression.
Here’s an official video promoting the campaign from the not-for-profit organisation:
But watching a video or just trawling through a website is one thing. Actually giving the number a call is another.
And here at KarryOn, we’re all about taking action, so we thought we’d give the number a call and speak to a real Swede.
The only problem was the time difference: morning time in Australia is really, really early morning time in Sweden – like 3am.
Still, after a few unsuccessful attempts at getting someone on the line, we got connected to some guy who was still up online.
We decided to ask him about what he’d recommend for a couple planning a romantic getaway to the Scandinavian nation – but on a budget (well, as budget as you can get in Sweden).
Check out the video of us calling for yourself; it’s quite hilarious:
However, it must be noted, that the “random Swedes” are not completely random.
The Swedish participants who take the calls (over 3,000 people had signed up to the service just one day after it was launched) are actually volunteers, choosing to download the app and take random calls from people all over the world – like a couple of writers from Sydney.
The volunteers are not vetted either, nor given any instructions about what to say.
The results of which can be pretty interesting…
In any case, what a great concept we think. It’s definitely innovative.
However, we’re not yet entirely convinced of the reliability of the connection, as we seemed to have had a “drop out” just as we were getting started.
And the whole spiel about the Grand Hotel in Stockholm only sounding expensive but not being so? Hmm, questionable, again: one night’s accommodation at the Grand Hotel goes for about $500. Is that not expensive to Swedes?
But, anyway, do yourself a favour and give +46 771 793 336 a call when you have some time, and speak to a real Swede.
It’s totes worth it, if just for the laughs!
