Iceland tourism ad invites you to ‘outhorse’ your work emails while visiting
Visit Iceland has hatched a novel ruse to win over holidaymakers struggling to switch off from the incessant ping of message receipts on their phones by introducing a new breed of out-of-office service.
‘OutHorse Your Email’ sees the famed Icelandic horse put to work on an outsize keyboard mat, pounding out messages on your behalf with its hooves as you put your feet up in the Blue Lagoon or visit Gulfoss Falls.
The idiosyncratic ploy aims to capture the attention of holidaymakers as international travel resumes. Research suggests that while 57% of Americans value vacations, just 42% feel rested after a trip – in part because they have been glued to their phones the whole time.
Sigríður Dögg Guðmundsdóttir, head of Visit Iceland, said: “When visitors travel to Iceland we want them to fully experience everything our nation has to offer, from breathtaking surroundings to endless landscapes and friendly faces. Our ‘OutHorse Your Email’ service lets them do just that, taking away the pressure of feeling as if they have to be always on and instead allowing them to be present throughout their trip.”
Jelena Ohm, project manager of Horses of Iceland, said: “Our talented horses took naturally to the ‘OutHorse Your Email’ service, tölting and galloping their way across the fields and creating a range of unique emails that will help holidaymakers enjoy their trip without any interruptions.”
A novel slant on the monkey with a typewriter hypothesis, which posits that with infinite time random typing would deliver the works of Shakespeare, the current experiment has failed to produce any great literary works, instead presenting bemused recipients with garbled messages such as: “þþnjifai=’.,,lmbmbnbbhgycdrgzw/’pfæ ndaiFVxhðut7r7r7djsmfdsm.”
Iceland has previously bid to win over travelers with the promise of adventure and upcycled boots. SS+K created the ads.