It was already obvious that Iceland is not your average destination, but Visit Iceland's recent 'Outhorse Your Email' campaign leaves no doubt. Venturing into the realms of surrealism and media hacks, the promotion involves a giant key mat with three specially trained horses, Litla Stjarna Frá Hvítarholti, Hrímnir Frá Hvammi-t, and Hekla Frá Þorkellshóli, responding on behalf of those who use the service. And who wouldn't like to answer a question, especially during a holiday, with the sentence "þþnjifai='.,,lmbmbnbbhgycdrgzw/'pfæ ndaiFVxhðut7r7r7djsmfdsm"?

According to Visit Iceland staff, the campaign was inspired by research showing that 58% of Americans, for example, don't feel rested even after a holiday, with very few stops to check their company messages and some opening their email client at least four times a day, not to mention the constant phone tapping. It is no wonder that the tourist office is effective in raising awareness of the importance of getting out of the office environment, as the video and the promotion, which show a frenetic sense of humor and is packaged with absurdity, send a strong message, and it is no coincidence that it has been reported in a wide range of publications from newspapers to advertising magazines around the world.

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.”

Of course, the most interesting part is always when we imagine the underlying processes. Luckily, we also made a promotional film, where we can see the serious preparation that goes into such a groundbreaking campaign, as the key mat required a lot of carpentry and networking work, and that's obviously just the tip of the iceberg.

United Call Centers is not yet at the stage of introducing pets during outsourced customer service campaigns outside of service hours. While we assess and develop our clients' needs in this area, we are happy to offer our chatbot, LiveChat, or IVA-based services, which can answer frequently asked questions 24 hours a day, even when we are roaming the slopes of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland.

Sources: Visit Iceland, TheDrum.com