2021 marked the 100-year anniversary for the Danish sausage van (pølsevognen). A beloved Danish icon portrayed by writers, painters and poets and celebrated by media and museums for its cultural impact. But more and more independently owned vans were closing due to competition from bigger fast-food chains: Once more than 700, today there are only 100 left. A cultural symbol was disappearing. So, Danish sausage brand Steff Houlberg wanted a PR splash and campaign sparking new love among the Danes for their old friend, the sausage van.

We wanted an idea that both enabled us to pay homage to the Danish sausage van as well as empowered the Danes to fight for its future. So, Steff Houlberg laid all modesty aside and took it to the highest level: UNESCO. We wanted to celebrate the Danish sausage van alongside the other great wonders on our planet. Pølsevognen and the Pyramids, side by side. An idea perfectly obscure to spark conversation among our on- and offline fan base and beyond as well as in Danish media. We teamed up with popular (Oscar-winning) actor and comedian Magnus Millang to lead “The Quest for UNESCO” – a cross-media campaign centered around a series of webisodes with Magnus chasing UNESCO and inviting the Danes onboard along the way.

The key message and insight was simple: Once more than 700, today there are only 100 left. A cultural symbol was disappearing. So, loved by all Danes we targeted all national, regional Danish media on the day of the 100-year anniversary. We did a PR splash with a campaign that sparked new love among the Danes for old friend, the sausage van. A PR-kit was sent out with different assets, a link to the webpage and ask to join the quest and sign the petition on the website.

”The Quest for UNESCO” campaign spread across print, bus ads, mobilizing the sausage van owners and more, but the focal point of the campaign was a series of webisodes for social and digital media. We got popular actor and comedian Magnus Millang onboard – but we didn’t want it to be his mission alone: We wanted to engage with and give a voice our dedicated fan base on social media, enabling them to take part in the mission. So, all social content invited them to help Magnus by spreading the word and signing a petition for his UNESCO application. We built a website to collect signatures – and while Magnus made his cardboard application for entertainment, Steff Houlberg initiated the actual UNESCO application which is still in motion.

On social media, the campaign exceeded benchmarks for previous Steff Houlberg campaigns in terms of both VTR and CTR. The Danes loved our webisodes! And feedback suggested that we’d hit a nerve in our community and beyond with comments such as “Most important initiative of the year” and “Need pølsevognen more than the Pyramids”. We got more than 7000 signatures in the petition and then took our application to the Danish Parliament and demanded a monument for the sausage van – and got it! Ultimately, the campaign resulted in “Copenhagen’s smallest monument” with the inscription “The sausage van forever” on the Town Hall Square in the same spot where the first sausage vans stood 100 years earlier.