Film > Culture & Context

WHAT IS TRULY SCANDINAVIAN?

&CO, Copenhagen / SAS - SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES SYSTEM / 2020

Awards:

Bronze Cannes Lions
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Overview

Credits

Overview

Write a short summary of what happens in the film

Through vignettes and smaller sequences, the film depicts all the cultural possessions that Scandinavians have brought to the region via traveling - a montage of Scandinavia’s cultural heritage, which is all inspired by other cultures.

The V.O. weaves several voices together, alongside a main voice from the SAS brand, to explain how all the things Scandinavian’s claim as their own actually originated elsewhere. Things such as Swedish Meatballs, the Danish, Midsommar, etc.

It's a fast-paced, emotional journey through Scandinavia and its history. And comprised of portrait shots, vintage footage, stock film, and location shot from all over the region.

Scandinavians are a proud people. And to inspire wanderlust, SAS tells the tale of how it Scandinavia traveled to the region.

Please tell us about the cultural insight that inspired the work

Scandinavians are incredibly proud whenever the rest of the world praises Scandinavian democracy, women’s rights, parental leave, cuisine, or traditions. This is the overarching cultural insight. To inspire travel through its impact on our home.

The film is entirely composed of local cultural references and terms, all of which have a special place in the hearts of Scandinavians. And there’s too many to include here. Most important are the references to “rugbrød” or rye bread, which is a type of bread that Danes eat on a daily basis. The paperclip, which many Norwegians mistakenly believe to be a Norwegian invention. “Midsommarstången” or “Maypole,” a pole erected as part of Swedish folk tradition and believed to be uniquely Swedish.

It’s worth noting that every item, idea, or custom mentioned in the film is something that Danes, Swedes, or Norwegians feel a kind of ownership of - as if it’s truly

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