BACKGROUND & CONTEXT

Nature travel was growing, but Sweden’s tourism board struggled to attract international tourists to the countryside. Travelers were looking for spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime experiences and compared to epic nature destinations like Norway and Iceland, Sweden’s nature was perceived as boring and bland.

There was a need to increase awareness and boost the perception of Sweden as a nature destination.

CREATIVE CHALLENGE

Travel is a visually driven category, defined by sight-seeing and Instagram moments. So how do you promote a destination where there’s not much to see?

Devoted nature enthusiasts wanted spectacular backdrops and dramatic landscapes that the low-key nature of Sweden could never deliver on. We needed to reach a larger audience and capture their interest in exploring nature beyond its beauty, learning from experience-driven categories and connecting it with what Sweden’s nature has to offer.

We had to break into broader culture and redefine travel.

In short: we had to show there’s more to experience nature than meets the eye.

SOLUTION

We found the perfect, unexpected, fit between Sweden’s unique, nature-inspired folklore and a zeitgeist of mysticism.

While Sweden’s nature might not look very exciting, it echoes with spine-chilling stories of supernatural experiences and mythical creatures. The idea that nature is alive is deeply rooted in Swedish culture – still, 1 in 3 believe in supernatural activity.

Meanwhile, there was an increased interest in mysticism and the occult in our target markets. New spiritual beliefs and practices like astrology, tarot and crystals took over internet communities, while genres like fantasy and horror dominated entertainment.

What if Sweden’s rich mythology could be a unique gateway to experiencing nature beyond its beauty?

We decided to ride on the dark wave and use the power of sound to bring Sweden’s unseen drama to life.

This redefined the concept of “nature experience”:

1. From sight-seeing to feeling

2. From TripAdvisor to trippy

3. From nature to supernatural

Our strategy broadened our audience beyond typical nature tourism, transcending travel to enter culture. By focusing on the legends of the Swedish forests, we gave Sweden a truly unique competitive edge as a nature destination.

EXECUTION

Spellbound by Sweden is the world’s first travel experience that attracts tourists by scaring them off, using audio to unlock a new dimension of a place. The haunting audio-adventure brings Sweden’s mythology-steeped nature to life in a truly immersive experience, co-created with iconic horror-writer John Ajvide Lindqvist. By geo-locking the audio to the Swedish forests, visitors were lured onto an eerie journey, deep into the unknown to explore it with all their senses – even the sixth.

The campaign was launched to media with a teaser film on Halloween, inserting Sweden’s nature into an unexpected cultural conversation that was already big news.

Visit Sweden’s website unveiled the mysteries of Sweden’s forests. The tourism industry added their own local myths and mystical sites to the program – even creating new, spooky travel experiences!

We helped tourists discover rural Sweden – but also made the tourism industry rediscover its magic.