We countered pandemic doomscrolling with 22.7 meters of Icelandic joy
When Oxford Languages released its Words of an Unprecedented Year report for 2020, one of the terms on the list was ‘doomscrolling,’ defined as “the action of compulsively scrolling through social media or news feeds which relate to bad news.” It turns out that on average, we scroll through 22.7m (74.5ft) of bad news every day. As travel to Iceland remained either restricted or prohibited, we created Joyscroll.com, an interactive web experience and social media campaign that took people out of their negative feeds and invited them to experience 22.7 meters of pure Icelandic joy. And since Iceland only receives about 5 hours of daylight during the darkest months of December and January, they’re used to bringing light to dark times.
We launched the idea with a YouTube video designed to simulate the effect of scrolling through a newsfeed, interrupting the negative content with Icelandic positivity. The video was supported by paid social units on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with joyful invitations to stop doomscrolling and start joyscrolling instead. Influencers in the US and UK promoted the site on their platforms, riffing on the experience of finding joy in a world of negativity.
When the user clicked through to the Joyscroll.com site, they were taken to a web experience full of soothing Icelandic nature, auroras, food, and even a few surprises like an intimate Joyscroll performance by Icelandic artist BRÍET. The website tracked their progress through the 22.7 meters of positive content, literally countering the negativity they experience on the internet.
“Iceland Introduces the Idea of Joyscrolling With Waterfalls, Geysers, and Puffins” - Travel + Leisure
“‘Joyscrolling’ through peaceful shots of Iceland is the antidote to 2020” - Metro UK
“Iceland can help you quit your 'doomscrolling' habit in 2021” - Lonely Planet
The campaign is still active, so results are pending. But at the end of 2020, it had already exceeded Inspired By Iceland’s goals.
Awards/Press: The FWA, Famous Campaigns, Metro UK, Lonely Planet, Travel + Leisure, Stylist UK, Travel Awaits, UrbanDaddy, Travel Pirates,
Creative Directors: Daniel Bremmer, Georgina Hoffmann, Stevie Archer, Andrew Curtis, Ben Morejon, Egill Þórðarson. Designer: Einar Gudmonsson. Site Development: Avista. Director: Allan Sigurdsson Music: Ulfur Eldjarn.