The archive · PR & Stunts · Marketing decision · 2016
Sweden gives the world its phone number — call a random Swede
The Swedish Tourist Association turned the country into a phone number, connecting 187,954 callers from 186 countries to volunteer Swedes with zero media spend.
Swedish Tourist Association
What it had to solve
The Swedish Tourist Association wanted more visitors and a truer image of Sweden; the anniversary of the world's first abolition of censorship (1766) gave it a chance to prove the country's openness instead of claiming it.
How it works
In April 2016, Sweden became the first country in the world to have its own telephone number. By dialing +46 771 793 336 from abroad, anyone could be connected to a random Swede who had volunteered to answer — a live, unscripted conversation about the country, its people and its opinions.
The Swedish Tourist Association launched the project for the 250th anniversary of Sweden abolishing censorship in 1766. Agency INGO Stockholm built a cloud switchboard that patched international calls to 'telephone ambassadors' who registered through an app; after answering, each Swede moved to the back of the queue. Nothing was censored, nothing was rehearsed, and not a single media placement was bought.
The stunt became global news within days: nearly 10,000 calls connected in the first days, and by the end of the two-month run 187,954 calls had come in from 186 countries, adding up to 367 days of conversation. The campaign earned 9.324 billion media impressions and roughly $147 million in media value — all from an idea that cost almost nothing to run.
Why it lands
- It replaced polished destination advertising with unscripted, real conversations, which made it instantly believable
- The telephone — an old, analog medium — stood out against digital campaigns and was irresistible news
- Giving citizens the microphone made every call unique and turned ordinary Swedes into the brand
- Zero paid media meant the entire effect was earned, keeping the budget risk tiny
What it did
187,954 calls from 186 countries, 34,069 volunteer ambassadors and 367 days of accumulated conversation, all with zero paid media; the campaign generated 9.324 billion media impressions and an estimated $147 million in media value, and won a Gold at the London International Awards.
What you can take
A country's most honest sales pitch is its own people: give the audience a real, unscripted human connection and the story distributes itself.
Since then
The number was switched off after its two-month run, but The Swedish Number became a reference case in nation branding: it won Gold at the London International Awards, was named Sweden's best PR campaign of the year, and joined the country's earlier @sweden Twitter experiment as proof that handing the brand to the public can out-earn traditional tourism advertising.
Sources
- The Swedish Number — Gold Winner, Non-Traditional / Travel
- Call A Random Swede? We Tried It Out
- Swede Idea: Tourism Association Connects Callers With Real Swedes
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