Ticket sales for the Danish Seafood Festival have begun. With over 100 fish and shellfish menus available at more than 100 restaurants, this year’s festival, running from 22 to 31 May, is bigger than ever. The program is wide-ranging and features several of the country’s best restaurants.
Each spring, as summer approaches, Denmark’s culinary scene turns towards the sea. The Seafood Festival brings together restaurants from across the country, each offering specially curated menus showcasing the diversity of Nordic seafood, at fixed prices of 289 DKK, 389 DKK, or 559 DKK. Bookings are available on the official Seafood Festival website.
Each spring, as summer approaches, Denmark’s culinary scene turns towards the sea.
From classic fish dishes to more contemporary interpretations, chefs showcase their approach to seafood—shaped by seasonality, proximity to the coast, and a strong culinary tradition.
It will also be possible to purchase wine and beverage menus that are carefully composed for the menu in question.
The Oslo-based design studio Skogstad & Wærnes has designed a new series of quality wool blankets for the textile manufacturer Røros Tweed in Norway.
Mello is a series of four differently colored wool blankets designed for shaft weaving, with an emphasis on binding and how each thread locks the textile in place. The design is based on a diagonal pattern that provides strong construction and a soft, slightly three-dimensional texture.
During the design process, Skogstad and Wærnes investigated different weaving techniques and patterns. Exploring possibilities to combine traditional techniques with modernized patterns.
The designer duo Petter Skogstad and Fredrik Wærnes.
From the very beginning, they experimented with physical samples in paper and yarn, in parallel with hand sketching and digital structure drawing. Often switching focus from close-up to full scale, from defining each thread to considering the whole blanket, led the designers to their final design for Mello.
The interplay between a white warp and a solid-colored weft highlights the intricate weave, creating a sheen that showcases the innate luster of Norwegian wool.
“We always find it interesting to embrace both the past and the future in our design processes. The MELLO series is a union of heritage and modern design that balances elegance with an innovative approach,” say Petter Skogstad and Fredrik Wærnes. The MELLO blankets are available in four colors: Lemon Yellow, Leaf Green, Powder Pink, and Warm Grey.
The interplay between a white warp and a solid-colored weft highlights the intricate weave.
The design of MELLO is based on a diagonal pattern that provides strong construction and a soft, slightly three-dimensional texture.
About Skogstad & Wærnes
Skogstad & Wærnes is an Oslo-based design studio founded by Petter Skogstad and Fredrik Wærnes, both born in 1985. Skogstad and Wærnes have known each other since studying product design at Oslo Metropolitan University and ECAL. In 2020, recognizing the synergy of their skills and experience, they established their own studio.
Their design ethos is rooted in honesty and thoughtfulness, guided by the intricacies and responsibilities of creating new products. The studio’s portfolio spans a diverse array of disciplines, with a particular passion for furniture, lighting, and objects.
About Røros Tweed
Since the 1930s, Røros Tweed has produced wool textiles and blankets in Røros. The family-owned company also operates its own yarn factory in Rauma, with almost 100 years of experience spinning wool yarn from Norwegian wool fibers. This gives Røros Tweed a unique position, with hands-on development from raw materials to the final product.
The Ellinikon, a €8 billion project led by LAMDA Development, is transforming 6.2 million sq. m. into a sustainable, self-sufficient zone where work, housing, leisure, and services are within a 15-minute walk- or bike ride, featuring a vast coastal park and integrated smart technology. The Former Athens International Airport Has Become Greece’s Premier 15-Minute City Initiative
The Ellinikon is taking shape on the Athenian Riviera. Work on the site began after the airport closed in 2001, with initial plans drawn up in 2012. The first building, a Care Center for People with Disabilities, was completed in 2023. Construction across the wider site is ongoing, with new districts and facilities expected to open in phases over the coming years.
One of the challenges facing residents of urban centers is the long daily commute. The time spent in cars or on public transportation to get to work, run daily errands, or simply go out diminishes their quality of life. For example, in 2024, drivers in Athens spent an average of 111 hours stuck in traffic. At the same time, people’s reliance on motorized vehicles increases the environmental footprint in big cities.
Everything you need is within a 15-minute walk- or bike ride.
Ellinikon is designed so residents can reach work, shopping, health care, education, and recreation within 15 minutes by walking, cycling, or public transportation.
The development spans 3.5 kilometers of coastline and is set to include more than 8,000 homes, office space, hotels, retail areas, a marina, and one of Europe’s largest coastal parks. The former airport site, which had been largely unused and environmentally degraded, is being redeveloped into a mixed-use urban district with a focus on accessibility and sustainability.
This approach limits the use of cars, motorcycles, and public transportation while promoting walking and micromobility, meaning transportation with soft means, such as bikes or electric scooters. To this end, 15-minute cities prioritize pedestrian zones, bike lanes, and sidewalks rather than freeways and highways.
The Ellinikon is taking shape on the Athenian Riviera.
Ellinikon features a 2-million-square-meter Metropolitan Park, green spaces covering 70% of the area, and sustainable infrastructure, including rain gardens and smart, energy-efficient building systems.
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Related: Smart City Sweden
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The Ellinikon Riviera forms the development’s coastal edge. It features a continuous 1 km public beach, along with walking paths, gardens, and open spaces. The waterfront is designed for accessibility, with areas for relaxation, sports, and social activities. Promenades and pedestrian links connect the coastline to the central park and surrounding neighborhoods.
Ellinikon features a 2-million-square-meter Metropolitan Park.
An early version of the 15-minute city was implemented in 1994 in Poundbury, England, with an urban design focused on easy access to public services. In 2016, architect Carlos Moreno introduced the 15-minute city concept in France, and it gained global prominence following the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, it is promoted by C40 Cities, a network of 97 mayors from cities worldwide, including Athens and Copenhagen, to address the climate crisis.
The 15-minute system uses a central digital platform to manage traffic, water, and energy, as well as apps that connect residents to city services.
The former airport site is being redeveloped into a mixed-use urban district with a focus on accessibility and sustainability.
Hospitality, retail, and lifestyle
Several hospitality projects are planned across the Ellinikon. The Mandarin Oriental Athens will include a hotel and branded residences along the waterfront. The Marina Hotel and Residences will offer additional accommodations near the marina, with direct access to restaurants, shops, and leisure areas.
There are approximately 2.5 to 3 million cars in the Athens Metropolitan Area, i.e., the area that includes Athens, Piraeus, and their suburbs. According to estimates of the area’s residents:
53% use their cars for transportation.
35% use public transport.
8% go to work on foot.
1-2% ride a bike.
These figures reflect the frustration experienced by both drivers and pedestrians, as the space intended for them is constantly shrinking. It is clear that radical solutions are needed to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors alike.
New districts and facilities expected to open in phases over the coming years.
Broader Vision
The model, highlighted as a key future urban strategy in Greece, aims to reduce car use, improve well-being, and combat the impacts of climate change by promoting sustainable, active transportation.
Icelandic singer Björk’s albums have become increasingly high-concept as she returns from her 1990s commercial peak. The National Gallery of Iceland presents Echolalia by Björk in Reykjavik, 31.5.2026-20.9.2026.
There will also be a one-day festival in Víðistaðatún, Hafnarfjörður, on Wednesday, August 12, coincident with the first and only 21st-century eclipse.
The National Gallery of Iceland presents Echolalia by Björk in Reykjavik.
Her hometown show is a good entry point. Immersive installations include a multimedia presentation of her next album, plus two others that provide context for her 2022 fungi-inspired LP, Fossora.
The visionary musician Björk has continually pushed conventional boundaries.
The National Gallery of Iceland presents an exhibition of Björk, the visionary musician whose work continually pushes conventional boundaries, interweaving art, nature, and technology through restless experimentation. Three songs are presented at the museum on a theatrical scale for the first time. Ancestress and Sorrowful Soil, composed and arranged by Björk in honor of her mother, are accompanied by a new work drawn from the artist’s forthcoming album. The exhibition is presented alongside Metamorphlings, an exhibition by James Merry, Björk’s longtime collaborator.
The National Gallery of Iceland presents Björk, Tor Kjolberg reporting.
Using humor to make your storytelling stick is a high-stakes, high-reward strategy that uses wit, irony, or absurdity to break through advertising clutter, humanize a brand, and create lasting emotional connections. In this article, I’m looking at how to use humor to break through advertising clutter.
Research shows that ads using humor are 47% more likely to be remembered, and 53% of consumers are more likely to enjoy and recall advertisements that make them laugh. Humor is particularly effective at driving engagement, with funny content seeing up to 400% more shares on social media.
Why Humor Works in Storytelling
Humor triggers the release of endorphins and dopamine, creating positive associations with the brand and supporting long-term memory retention.
Humor triggers the release of endorphins and dopamine.
Humor is a powerful tool because it taps directly into human psychology, transforming a purely informational message into an enjoyable experience. Studies indicate that humorous campaigns can deliver 6 times more brand lift, achieve up to 47% higher return on ad spend (ROAS), and are 30% to 90% more likely to be remembered than serious, dry ads.
Here is why humor creates strong emotional connections and improves memory, explained through psychological and marketing principles:
The Chemistry of Connection (Emotional Connection)
When people laugh, their brains release a cocktail of dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins. This triggers feelings of pleasure, happiness, and well-being, directly linking the brand to a positive emotional experience.
Humor, especially self-deprecating or observational, makes a brand feel more human, relatable, and trustworthy. It reduces consumer skepticism and lowers emotional defenses, making consumers more open to the brand’s message.
Shared laughter creates a bond between the brand and the consumer, often making the audience feel like they are “in on the joke.”
The “Tension Release Theory” suggests that humor serves as a pressure valve, relieving monotony or tension in a crowded advertising landscape.
The Cognitive Impact (Memory and Recall)
Humor captures attention because it often involves unexpected twists or incongruity, forcing the brain to focus on and decode the joke, leading to deeper processing.
Cognitive studies show that information paired with humor is remembered 90% better than dry information. The brain is wired to retain positive, emotional memories, making consumers more likely to remember the ad and, by extension, the brand.
Content that makes people laugh is more likely to be shared on social media, amplifying reach and reinforcing brand memory, resulting in 400% more shares than neutral content.
In a saturated market, a humorous story breaks the mold of traditional, boring ads. When the product is woven directly into the joke (like Snickers’ “You’re not you when you’re hungry”), the laugh becomes a branded memory trace, ensuring the brand is remembered, not just the joke. Consistent humor defines a brand’s voice, making it instantly recognizable and distinct from competitors.
However, for maximum effectiveness, the humor must be tailored to the target audience and aligned with the brand’s persona to avoid being offensive or confusing.
Humor in marketing storytelling cuts through the noise by serving as a “pattern interrupt” in a crowded, high-stress digital landscape, offering a refreshing, memorable alternative to serious, corporate messaging. In an era of content fatigue, with 67% of consumers reporting feeling overloaded by generic or “polite” marketing messages, humor grabs attention, builds instant rapport, and fosters trust.
Shared laughter creates a bond between the brand and the consumer.
A witty, unexpected, or absurd story immediately breaks the monotony and indifference toward social media ads. In a world of heavily produced, perfect imagery, humorous, raw, or self-deprecating content feels authentic and human. It disrupts the expected, traditional sales pitch, forcing the consumer to pause and engage.
High Memorability and Emotional Connection
Humor helps turn a sales pitch into an experience, making the message “stick” in long-term memory.
Drives Virality and Organic Engagement
Humorous content is, by far, the most shared type online, increasing reach without additional paid spend. People share jokes that make them feel clever or help them connect with friends, serving as free promotion for brands.
Humanizes the Brand and Reduces Sales Resistance
Humor signals confidence and self-awareness, showing that a brand doesn’t take itself too seriously. When people laugh, their natural defenses against sales pitches drop, making them more receptive to the message. Humor often highlights common pain points or “insider” industry jokes, fostering a “we’re in this together” feeling between the brand and the consumer.
High ROI and Efficiency
Ads with humor are 6.1x more effective at driving market share growth than dull or neutral ads. Research indicates that humorous ads can lead to 47% higher purchase intent than non-humorous ads.
Key 2024–2025 Trend: After years of purpose-driven, serious marketing, brands are returning to humor as a “superpower,” with 75% of UK and US winners at the 2024 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity using humor.
Humor is a powerful tool in marketing storytelling because it cuts through the noise of a crowded, often impersonal digital landscape, creating a genuine emotional connection with audiences. Rather than relying solely on facts or sales pitches, incorporating humor transforms a faceless corporation into an approachable, relatable, and trustworthy entity, effectively “humanizing” the brand.
Humor signals confidence and self-awareness, showing that a brand doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Why humor works for humanizing a brand
It Fosters Relatability and Trust
Humor allows brands to act like people rather than corporations, building rapport and making them feel more relatable. Self-deprecating or observational humor shows that a brand doesn’t take itself too seriously, signaling confidence and authenticity. Using humor to highlight common customer frustrations (e.g., Mondays or complicated industry jargon) demonstrates that the brand understands the customer’s world.
It Triggers Positive Emotions
When a brand makes consumers laugh, it lowers their guard, making them more receptive to marketing messages.
It Makes the Brand Memorable
In dull categories (like finance or utilities), humor is the key differentiator between being ignored and being unforgettable.
It Encourages Engagement
Humorous content is highly shareable, often going viral as people pass along content that made them laugh. Using humor, such as memes or witty replies on social media (e.g., Wendy’s or Duolingo), creates an “inside joke” atmosphere, strengthening customer loyalty.
It Works Across All Industries (Including B2B)
Humor is effective in B2B marketing, where it helps simplify complex products and differentiate brands in a dry, jargon-filled market. Even in professional settings, customers are human beings who appreciate a good laugh, making them more likely to trust a brand that is, well, human.
Key Considerations for Success
The humor must align with the brand’s voice, or it can feel forced and insincere. What one person finds funny, another may find offensive, so deep audience insight is crucial. Remember, humor should support, not overshadow, the core message.
Humor must feel natural to the brand’s identity, not forced.
BVT, developed by researchers Peter McGraw and Caleb Warren, posits that humor occurs when three conditions are met simultaneously:
A situation is a violation (it threatens how the world “ought to be” – i.e., it is wrong, abnormal, or threatening).
The situation is benign (harmless, playful, or not truly dangerous).
Both perceptions occur at the same time.
In short, something is funny when it is wrong but also okay.
The Core Components
Violations: Departures from social, moral, or physical norms. Examples include physical threats (tickling, play-fighting), violations of dignity (slapstick), violations of social norms (rudeness, flatulence), and violations of linguistic logic (puns, absurdities).
Benignity: This is the perception that the violation is not genuinely harmful. This perception makes the threat seem safe.
Simultaneity: The observer must see the situation as both wrong and not wrong at the same time. If it is only a violation, it is scary or offensive; if it is only benign, it is boring.
Dollar Shave Club’s video used direct, dry, and self-aware humor to disrupt the razor industry.
How Violations Become Benign
According to the BVT, a violation can become benign in three primary ways:
Alternative Norms: A different perspective can make the situation acceptable, such as when a person is tickled by someone they trust (a mock attack).
Weak Commitment to the Norm: The observer does not care deeply about the rule that is broken, such as when someone who is not religious laughs at a joke about a church.
Psychological Distance: The situation feels distant. This includes temporal distance (tragedy + time = comedy), spatial distance (a joke about a faraway place), or hypotheticality (a cartoon or joke that isn’t real).
Examples of BVT
Tickling: A physical attack (violation) that is harmless because it is performed by a loved one (benign).
Tragedy + Time: A joke about a 5-year-old car accident is funny, but a joke about one that happened yesterday is not, because the latter is too close to be taken lightly.
Puns: They violate language norms (violation) yet are harmless wordplay (benign).
A Chicken Crossing the Road: It violates the norm of normal, predictable animal behavior (violation) in a harmless (benign) way.
Duolingo’s TikTok strategy uses a “chaotic” and slightly unhinged mascot to engage younger audiences, demonstrating that niche, platform-specific humor can be effective.
Significance
The BVT is useful because it explains why humor is subjective and why some jokes offend some people while making others laugh—the same situation may be perceived as a “benign violation” by one person and a “malign violation” (harmful) by another. It also explains why comedy often pushes boundaries: the best comedy sits on the razor’s edge between harmless and genuinely harmful.
Humor often arises when a situation seems “wrong” yet is perceived as non-threatening. Breaking expectations in a lighthearted way (e.g., in an Old Spice commercial) makes the content memorable.
Liquid Death uses dark, ironic humor to position bottled water as an “irreverent” lifestyle product, fostering strong brand loyalty.
Key Strategies for Implementation
Humor must feel natural to the brand’s identity, not forced. If a brand is typically serious, a sudden pivot to slapstick can alienate customers.
The most effective humor is rooted in common human experiences, such as the pain points of a specific industry (e.g., B2B marketing) or everyday inconveniences.
Use visual and narrative storytelling to build context rather than relying on a standalone joke. The humor should enhance the message, not overshadow it.
Avoid humor based on politics, religion, or harmful stereotypes. The safest approach is often to make the product or situation the “loser” in the joke rather than a person or group.
Breaking expectations in a lighthearted way (e.g., in an Old Spice commercial) makes the content memorable.
Liquid Death uses dark, ironic humor to position bottled water as an “irreverent” lifestyle product, fostering strong brand loyalty.
Duolingo
The brand’s TikTok strategy uses a “chaotic” and slightly unhinged mascot to engage younger audiences, demonstrating that niche, platform-specific humor can be effective.
Humor and irony are intended to attract more tourists to Oslo.
The anti-advertisement for the Norwegian capital spread worldwide. Humor and irony are intended to attract more tourists to Oslo.
A witty, unexpected, or absurd story immediately breaks the monotony and indifference toward social media ads.
Risks and Pitfalls
What one person finds hilarious, another may find offensive or confusing.
If the audience remembers the joke but not the brand or product, the campaign has failed.
Using humor during a crisis or in a highly sensitive context can harm a brand’s reputation.
In essence, successful humor in marketing isn’t just about being funny; it’s about using wit strategically to ensure the brand’s message is both seen and felt by the audience.
Creative liveries are among the most striking ways for an airline to stand out. Several projects will take off in 2026, and we’ve selected a few creative airline liveries to watch.
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)
SAS is celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2026, and to mark the occasion, an Airbus A330-300 (registered as LN-RKR and named Tore Viking) has been repainted in the airline’s signature cobalt blue. For the first time, an entire aircraft has been painted in the striking color, while the red, blue, white, and yellow accents refer to the flags of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.
SAS CEO Anko van der Werff
“For 80 years, Scandinavian Airlines has driven innovation and brought Scandinavia closer to the world through safe and reliable operations. From our first transatlantic flight to today’s global network, that purpose remains unchanged. This aircraft is a symbol of our heritage, and of the role we play every day for our customers and the societies we serve”, SAS CEO Anko van der Werff said about the livery.
Norwegian Air Shuttle with Roald Dahl tailfin.
Norwegian Air Shuttle
Norwegian’s “Tail Fin Heroes” program, started in 2002, features portraits of iconic personalities who challenged norms and pushed boundaries. Originally focused on Scandinavian pioneers, the portraits expanded to include European and American figures (e.g., Freddie Mercury, Oscar Wilde) to reflect the airline’s growth. The portraits, alongside a red-nosed livery, are a signature branding element.
To celebrate their 20th anniversary in 2022, Norwegian began a renewal program, introducing a modern red, white, and blue design that reflects the hero’s life and work.
Comic art is an essential part of Belgium’s cultural identity.
Brussels Airlines
Since February 2026, Brussels Airlines has been flying a very special Airbus A320. The Belgian Icon aircraft, registered as OO-SNJ, has been dedicated to the internationally cherished comic character Tintin. It is the second Brussels Airlines plane to be decorated with one of Hergé’s iconic characters, this time with a space-themed drawing.
“Comic art is an essential part of Belgium’s cultural identity, and Hergé’s work continues to inspire people around the world. It is no coincidence that Rackham was our very first Belgian Icon. With this new aircraft, we deepen that legacy and strengthen our mission to showcase Belgian creativity around the world. We are proud to bring another iconic piece of Belgian culture into the skies and to offer our passengers a unique experience,” Dorothea von Boxberg, CEO of Brussels Airlines, said at the time.
An Airbus A350 wrapped in the new design.
China Airlines
Flag carrier China Airlines has announced its second Pokémon-themed aircraft, following on from its Pikachu Jet CI, which was unveiled in 2022.
An Airbus A350 has been wrapped in the new design, which features 13 Pokémon cartoons (including fan favorites such as Pikachu, Skiploom, and Dragonite) and a pastel floral pattern.
China Airlines is also launching Pokémon-themed children’s meals across all routes, plus Pokémon merchandise available for purchase via the China Airlines eMall website.
A Pokémon concept might seem like an unusual choice for a Taiwanese-based carrier given that the franchise originated in Japan. However, it’s a clever move by the airline, given that the nostalgia-fuelled brand is the world’s highest-grossing media franchise with an estimated revenue exceeding $150 billion.
Air India Express has collaborated with contemporary artist and illustrator Osheen Siva.
Air India Express
Low-cost carrier Air India Express has collaborated with contemporary artist and illustrator Osheen Siva to give one of its Boeing 737-8 aircraft a new look, which launched this week.
Based in Goa, India, Siva’s work mixes Dalit and Tamil heritage with surrealism and science fiction. Air India Express has created an original piece depicting a Tamil figure against an azure backdrop.
The livery is part of the airline’s broader Tales of India initiative, in which aircraft tail fins are decorated with patterns inspired by Indian heritage.
Conclusion
Airlines paint their planes in bright colors and distinctive liveries primarily as a high-visibility marketing tool to stand out on crowded tarmacs. While most aircraft are predominantly white for safety and efficiency (cooler cabin, easier damage inspection, lower weight), bright colors, special liveries, or company-specific colors build brand recognition.
Creative Airline Liveries to Watch in 2026, Tor Kjolberg reporting.
The New Government Quarter (Regjeringskvartalet) in Oslo is designed to redevelop the site of the 2011 terror attacks into an open, secure, and green civic space. Now, 15 years later, national pride has been rebuilt in Oslo.
The masterplan by Nordic Office of Architecture includes new routes and public spaces that reconnect the New Government Quarter with Oslo’s historic center. The scheme brings government ministries together in an open yet secure civic landscape. Local materials and crafts are used throughout the new and refurbished buildings. On the site of the 22 July 2011 terrorist attack, which traumatized Norway, the first phase of the New Government Quarter (Regjeringskvartalet) in central Oslo is now complete.
Einar Gerhardsens Plass. Photo: KRONO
Nordic Office of Architecture led the architecture team, including Haptic Architects, Scenario, and i-d. Interiørarkitektur & Design, to deliver a ‘design for democracy’ that reopens the heart of Norway’s political center and creates a new model for bringing government ministries together in an open yet secure civic landscape. The Prime Minister of Norway, government officials, and staff will move into the quarters, consolidating almost all Norwegian ministries into a single, flexible campus for approximately 4,100 employees.
In a speech just a couple of days after the attack, Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg said, “We will never give up our values. Our response is more democracy, more openness, and more humanity. But never naivity.”
Over the years, these words have become increasingly important.
Design & Architecture
“From day one, the question was how to create a place that symbolizes Norwegian democracy and identity.” said Gudmund Stokke, Founding Partner and Head of Design at Nordic Office of Architecture.
The masterplan integrates five new, energy-efficient buildings, two refurbished buildings (including the iconic High-rise), and new public spaces, including Regjeringsparken.
Gudmund Stokke, Founding Partner and Head of Design at Nordic Office of Architecture, says: “From day one, the question was how to create a place that symbolizes Norwegian democracy and identity. We were asked to design a secure government district, but also a place where people feel welcome to walk, sit, protest, and remember – a government quarter that belongs to all of Norway.”
The highlight is a new A-block, with a glass pyramid-like structure.
The highlight is a new A-block, where a glass pyramid-like structure creates a 51-meter-high atrium that will serve as the stage for the government to greet foreign dignitaries. Towering over it is an art piece by Outi Pieski, crafted from Nordic birch and celebrating Sámi indigenous history. Another space of architectural significance is Høyblokken, a Brutalist high-rise built in 1958. It took the brunt of the 2011 bomb blast but has since been repaired, along with the Picasso murals adorning its walls.
A piece of art by Outi Pieski, crafted from Nordic birch and celebrating Sámi indigenous history.
Security & Accessibility
The area focuses on “reparative urbanism,” blending high-level security measures—such as integrated security barriers and controlled access—with open pedestrian pathways and green spaces.
The buildings are constructed with eco-friendly materials.
The buildings are constructed with eco-friendly materials, including low-carbon concrete, locally sourced timber, and Larvikite stone.
The project integrates existing public art from the old buildings, including Picasso’s murals (“The Fishermen” and “The Seagull”) salvaged from the demolished Y-block, into the new structures.
Bridges, atria, and shared social zones form the Collaboration District, connecting ministries on the first floor and turning the campus into a “decision-making machine” where people and ideas can move easily between departments. Two existing plazas – Johan Nygaardsvolds plass and Einar Gerhardsens plass – have been refreshed and now reconnect previously closed streets, reestablishing pedestrian and cycling routes between Hammersborg, the city center, and the fjord.
“We worked with Norwegian boat builders to shape the double-curved surfaces made of wood,” says Knut Hovland, NOA’s design director.
Norwegian craft and materiality are also championed on site. “We worked with Norwegian boat builders to shape the double-curved surfaces made of wood,” says Knut Hovland, NOA’s design director.
Project Timeline & Development
Summer 2020: Y-Block is demolished; Picasso murals (“The Fishermen” and “The Seagull”) are removed for preservation.
January 2021: Construction began on Stage 1.
February 2026:Phase 1 Completed. Includes the rehabilitated Høyblokka (High-rise), new A-Block, and new D-Block.
April 13, 2026: Official reopening of the first phase, with ministries beginning to move in.
July 2026: Planned unveiling of the new 22 July National Memorial, designed by Matias Faldbakken, to mark 15 years since the attacks.
2026–2030:Phase 2. Construction of C-Block, rehabilitation of G-Block, and further development of public spaces.
2031 (expected): Projected full completion of the final stages, including B and E Blocks.
Odd Eliassen was the first Norwegian to stand on the summit of Mount Everest. He was the first to climb Trollveggen, the first to cross Queen Maud Land on skis, has made countless first ascents in the Norwegian mountains, and has crossed Greenland in authentic Nansen equipment. Continue reading to learn more about the last adventurer.
In 1965, at the age of 21, Odd Eliassen climbed Trollveggen for the first time with three others. On the ground stood a cameraman from NRK and a nail-biting local population. Eliassen had little climbing experience. The feat has been described as quite hair-raising.
The book, “The Last Adventurer,” is about living out the dream.
Odd Eliassen has never written about his expeditions or given a lecture. He always disappeared out the back door when a press conference began. But now he has shared his stories with author, mountaineer, and hiking buddy Stein P. Aasheim.
He is an adventurer of the old variety, from the time when he drove 6,000 kilometers in a Volkswagen bus to climb the highest mountain in Afghanistan or to climb in Africa. Almost eighty years old, Odd Eliassen still skis a couple of thousand kilometers every winter.
Odd Eliassen is an adventurer of the old variety.
The book, “The Last Adventurer,” is about living out the dream – not to achieve anything else, but for genuine adventure and the pure joy of moving into the unknown.
In 1975, NORAD was looking for a master carpenter who enjoyed working in thin air. The job advertisement seemed written for Eliassen. For three years, he and his family lived at Kilimanjaro, where he climbed all the classic routes, followed paths, and built huts toward the summit. His children spoke Swahili like the locals. Today, the world’s highest free-standing mountain is Tanzania’s biggest tourist attraction. Eliassen has probably reached the summit seventy-five times.
The book about one of Norway’s most accomplished climbers and expeditioners of all time.
The book about one of Norway’s most accomplished climbers and expeditioners of all time is a story about a time when being an adventurer was an adventure.
About the author:
Stein P. Aasheim (b. 1951) is an author, mountaineer, and self-proclaimed fur trapper, living in Isfjorden in Rauma. His enthusiastic travel and nature stories have inspired several generations of Norwegian outdoor enthusiasts, with books such as Trango – triumph and tragedy (1985), Svalbard – The Hunting Family at 79° North (2003), In Roald Amundsen’s ski trail: The Cape Race to the South Pole – 100 years later (2012), and The Mountains Have Me Now (2022). All books are in Norwegian only..
Psychologist Jerome Bruner found that we are 22 times more likely to remember a fact when it is wrapped in a story. Stanford’s Graduate School of Business found that when people listened to pitches, either containing facts and figures or a story, only 5% recalled a statistic, but a whopping 63% remembered the stories. I have analyzed hundreds of the best storytelling campaigns for brands (my opinion only), and I am pleased to share some of them with my readers in a series called the Brand Masters of Storytelling.
Winning Isn’t Comfortable
In my opinion, Nike’s 2024 campaign succeeded by moving beyond romanticized athletic perfection toward a raw, authentic portrayal of the pain and grit of running. By focusing on the shared, uncomfortable reality of training (e.g., sore muscles, early mornings), it created deep emotional resonance with both novice and elite runners, driving a reported 16% increase in sales.
The campaign didn’t just highlight the physical toll of running but also revealed the core of Nike’s marketing genius through a series of emotionally charged short-form videos spotlighting famous athletes.
The campaign launched with a film called Sunshine, created by Wieden+Kennedy in Portland, which portrays the challenges of running in poor conditions. Set to a version of You Are My Sunshine, the 30-second ad featured a variety of runners facing the rain and included a cameo from basketball star Juju Watkins.
Instead of showing perfect, effortless running, the campaign tugged at heartstrings and leveraged influencer marketing and runner stereotypes to deliver its message exclusively on Instagram. Each film tackles a different challenge runners face: early mornings, hitting a wall, and climbing a staircase after a run. This approach created radical relatability and empathy.
The campaign aimed to shift toward an inclusive running culture, appealing to casual joggers while paying homage to devoted marathoners, ensuring the message hit home for all skill levels and reconnecting with runners.
Nike’s 2024 campaign succeeded by moving beyond romanticized athletic perfection toward a raw, authentic portrayal of the pain and grit of running.
Despite Nike’s campaign being limited to one social network, its marketing efforts were more dialed in than ever. The Winning Isn’t Comfortable campaign followed Winning Isn’t For Everyone, which ran during the Paris Olympics and celebrated the single-mindedness of the world’s highest-achieving athletes. The films will run globally through marathon season, supported by social assets and outdoor ads (with copy such as ‘If you don’t hate running a little, you don’t love running enough’) that mirror the out-of-home billboards for Winning Isn’t For Everyone.
The Winning Isn’t Comfortable campaign follows Winning Isn’t For Everyone, which ran during the Paris Olympics and celebrated the single-mindedness of the world’s highest-achieving athletes. The films ran globally throughout marathon season, supported by social assets and outdoor ads (with copy such as ‘If you don’t hate running a little, you don’t love running enough’) that mirror the style of the out-of-home billboards for Winning Isn’t For Everyone.
The ads used humor (e.g., set to Nazareth’s “Love Hurts”) to portray athletes’ love-hate relationship with pain.
Each film tackles a different challenge runners face.
Reframing “discomfort”
Five years ago, running was Nike’s largest category. The brand dominated the sport and led in innovation – its controversial Vaporfly running shoes were worn by the first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon, and a prototype was even banned for giving an unfair advantage. But as the popularity of running (and running clubs) has soared since the pandemic, Nike has failed to capitalize on the trend, losing market share to nimbler newcomers such as Hoka and On Running.
Nike’s target group was men and women between 12 and 55, a broad range.
In the 2024 campaign, Nike amplified its message. It reframed “discomfort” not as a failure but as a necessary part of progress and triumph, aligning with Nike’s heritage of championing personal achievement.
Nike’s target group was men and women between 12 and 55, a broad range. Some argue that such a broad range would create minimal impact. But let’s say the optimal range within that estimate is 20-45. This range is young enough to remain active without significant health concerns, yet old enough to spend their money on one or several running products from Nike.
Amid a decline in sales and an increasingly fragmented market, Nike was reinvesting in running culture to restore its relevance .
An authentic campaign rooted in real insights
Amid a decline in sales and an increasingly fragmented market, Nike was reinvesting in running culture to restore its relevance – with a focus on the ‘everyday running category’, as CEO John Donahoe outlined during an earnings call at the end of 2023. Winning Isn’t For Everyone celebrated the world’s greatest athletes. Winning Isn’t Comfortable portrays regular runners pounding pavements before work, in bad weather, at local park runs, and more. The films felt authentic and rooted in real insights, depicting the everyday experiences ordinary people endure out of sheer determination and a love of running.
The campaign, detailed in a Contagious article, was seen as a bold, disruptive move to fend off competitors and reconnect with its core audience, according to the campaign analysts at Branding in Asia.
Nike marketed this campaign exclusively on Instagram, thereby singling out older generations who prefer Meta (Facebook). Men and women between 18 and 44 are the primary users of Instagram because a majority grew up with it, which is another reason the optimal range for Nike’s campaign is between 20 and 45.
Appealing to runners’ emotional ties to the sport
In a category cluttered with technical specs and proprietary features, Nike appeals to runners’ emotional ties to the sport. As running has become more inclusive (for example, run clubs used to be elite affairs; nowadays they welcome amateurs), Nike is adapting its communications to reflect the newer, novice runners who started running during the pandemic, while paying homage to established, lifelong runners – both groups that are heavily targeted by category disruptors Hoka, On, and Unlimit.
The campaign avoided the typical “glory” shots to focus on the “grit,” helping distinguish it from other brands, as noted in this case study.
While Nike is a global brand, its primary focus for this campaign was likely the United States for several reasons. The United States is not only one of the largest consumer markets but also home to most runners, races, and sports markets worldwide.
A heritage of campaigns championing realistic, personal achievements
Winning Isn’t Comfortable drew on Nike’s heritage of campaigns championing realistic, personal achievements, such as Find Your Greatness. The 2012 ad series, coinciding with the London Olympics, showcased ordinary people pursuing their own versions of greatness across various sports. It was one of Nike’s most successful campaigns, driving $506m in revenue growth.
Do you have any suggestions for other storytelling campaigns? Please give me a hint: editor@dailyscandinavian.com
Brand Masters of Storytelling, told by Tor Kjolberg.
Previous articles on storytelling:
Experience the most comprehensive Nordic exhibition of Pablo Picasso’s late works in 40 years when Kunsten Museum of Modern Art presents the Late Picasso exhibition in Aalborg, 9 May – 6 September 2026.
The latter part of Pablo Picasso’s career burns with restless intensity. The exhibition “Late Picasso” presents around fifty works created between 1963 and 1972 – works once overlooked but now recognized as a powerful premonition of future artistic expression.
Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg. Photo: Allan Toft.
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Over 60 works from the 1960s to the 1970s offer a unique insight into the final years of Picasso’s life – a period marked by an insatiable desire to create, during which, late in life, Picasso rejected all conventions and renewed his expression through an experimental and playful approach to art.
The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to become acquainted with this period in the work of one of art history’s most influential artists. Working with tireless energy, he often completed several canvases a day, revisiting themes from his past and from the broader European painting tradition. During these years, his art shifted from breaking boundaries to deep, persistent exploration.
At more than 80, Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) created art at a frantic pace and with a tenacity that produced an overwhelming body of work. Picasso’s work from these years exudes a raw, immediate energy and an almost childlike curiosity – a sense of freedom in which anything seems possible.
The exhibition offers a unique opportunity to become acquainted with this period in the work of one of art history’s most influential artists.
Picasso’s late works gained renewed significance in the 1980s.
Picasso’s late works gained renewed significance in the 1980s. As painting re-emerged as a dominant medium, a younger generation of artists found inspiration in the expressive freedom of his final decade. Today, they are recognized not only as groundbreaking but also as a powerful premonition of the artistic expression of later generations.
The exhibition in Aalborg is a unique opportunity to become acquainted with this aspect of the work of one of the most influential artists in art history.
Late Picasso Exhibition in Aalborg, Tor Kjolberg reporting.
Key 2024–2025 Trend: After years of purpose-driven, serious marketing, brands are returning to humor as a “superpower,” with 75% of UK and US winners at the 2024 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity using humor.
Appealing to runners’ emotional ties to the sport
