Visit Norway has found an unusual way to turn political mud-slinging into tourism gold: show the world its toilets.
Instead of taking offence at US President Donald Trump's latest disparaging remarks, the tourism organisation has responded with a campaign showcasing the country’s especially scenic public toilets.
The campaign followed remarks at a political rally in Michigan, where Trump said he did not want immigrants from Norway because he had not received the Nobel Peace Prize, before calling it a “shit house country”.
Rather than raise a stink, Visit Norway showed off its architect-designed toilets overlooking fjords, mountains and coastal landscapes.
“Well, what we can say, we do have some of the most spectacular toilets in the world,” the organisation said.
The campaign repurposed an existing webpage first published about five years earlier. Visit Norway updated the page’s headlines and promoted it on social media under the banner “Norway makes shithouses great again!”
The response reportedly drew more than 80,000 webpage views from over 170 countries, giving Norway’s loos with views an international audience.
Behind the toilet humour is an established tourism offering. The facilities sit along the 18 Norwegian Scenic Routes, where architecture and viewpoints give visitors reasons to stop and explore. Examples include the wave-shaped toilet at Ureddplassen on the Helgeland coast and the cliffside facilities at Stegastein overlooking Aurlandsfjord.
“The joke rests on something real,” Visit Norway said in a statement. “Along Norwegian Scenic Routes, leading architects have designed rest stops, viewpoints and public toilets that fit into some of Europe’s most dramatic landscapes.”
“Our answer is simple: come and see for yourself,” Visit Norway said. “Everyone is welcome.”