The Best of Norway on YouTube

Ah YouTube. If there was ever a website responsible for a drop in productivity in offices across the world it's this one (at least, until BuzzFeed came along!)

Because of my propensity for sharing videos on the Life in Norway Facebook page, friends of mine frequently forward me Norway-related videos on YouTube. Over the years several have gone viral, others just stayed in the memory for one reason or another. Let's explore some of the best…

Faen

A very helpful video for all foreigners new to Norway. An explanation of the most common curse-word uttered by Norwegians! Over 1.6m views to date.

Would you give your jacket to Johannes?

A more recent video that went viral in the USA, it was a simple test of whether strangers would hand over their jacket to a freezing child at a bus stop. I struggled to really grasp this one – I mean, would this really not happen in the USA? Either way, it reinforces the stereotype that Norwegians are nice people. Over 13m views.

Æ Ø Å – Size Matters

Those wonderful three letters – æ ø and å – caused me so much trouble when I first moved here! Now they're a part of my life, and I love them for it. This video pokes fun at the “supersize” culture of the USA. 3.7m views.

Winter light in Trondheim

This didn't exactly go viral but it did enjoy a successful launch and was picked up by national media and some travel industry media. This video of Trondheim in the winter was taken by a drone-cam, a remote-control flying camera. Pretty neat! The only downside was the almost complete lack of snow in Trondheim this winter!

Radi-Aid: Africa for Norway

A brilliantly conceived video highlighting the issues around foreign aid in Africa. 2.4m views.

“Imagine if every person in Africa saw the “Africa for Norway” video and this was the only information they ever got about Norway. What would they think about Norway?

If we say Africa, what do you think about? Hunger, poverty, crime or AIDS? No wonder, because in fundraising campaigns and media that’s mainly what you hear about.”