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How a viral ad campaign is teaching us to 'life-see', not sightsee

Larry Bleiberg
Getty Images Rear view of a man with backpack walking in Oslo old town (Credit: Getty Images)Getty Images
Norway's new ad has attracted nearly 20 million views since its release in late June (Credit: Getty Images)

In a summer of overtourism, a viral Oslo travel advert with nearly 20 million views is turning the tables on what travellers want.

It's hardly a traditional start to a tourism ment: "I wouldn't come here to be honest," says an unimpressed resident of Oslo.

The narrator, a 31-year-old man named Halfdan, then introduces viewers to Norway's capital, and complains about its lack of pretension, its easily accessible art like Edvard Munch's The Scream ("Not exactly the Mona Lisa," he notes) and its accessibility. All the while, he strolls through a tranquil cityscape with no queues, crowds or selfie-snappers in sight.

"You can just walk from one side of town to the other in, like, 30 minutes," Halfdan grouses. "Is it even a city">window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'alternating-thumbnails-a', container: 'taboola-below-article', placement: 'Below Article', target_type: 'mix' });