The Best Norwegian TV Adverts from the 2010s

TV adverts are a window into Norwegian culture. Even with the rise of streaming services, television adverts still manage to capture the moment. Here's some of our favourites.

There's so many adverts on Norwegian TV that make me smile or leave me scratching my head, I'm surprised I didn't write this post months ago!

Watching TV adverts is not just a good way of finding out about brands and how they're marketed and/or viewed by Norwegians, it's also a good way to pick up some language.

From world-famous cheese brands to colourful characters selling mobile phone subscriptions, walk with me through this slice of Norwegian culture!

Only Jarlsberg is Jarlsberg

One of Norway's biggest exports, I love the nuttiness of Jarlsberg! I also love this advert. The premise is simple – Jarlsberg is better than all the other “yellow” cheeses.

The wife/girlfriend comes home with a different brand saying they're all the same, “cheese is cheese”. He's pissed off, so the next time she comes home he's replaced the dog. “A dog is a dog”

There's a few others in this series but I prefer this one 🙂

That being said, this follow-up advert makes me smile too so the rubber cheese is back on the list!

The young chap starts to panic when his date says all cheese is the same, and has visions of the future: a father is a father, a home is a home, and so on.

George Clooney – DNB Bank

Perhaps the only Norwegian advert to be well known outside the country… because George Clooney is in it! This tells the story of the greatest hangover ever.

The lady wakes up to find a ring on her finger, a wedding dress on the floor, and George Clooney looking at houses online.

It advertises a savings account – noones this lucky, so you'd best save up.

The George Clooney DNB Parody – Sparebank1

A brilliant parody from a rival bank 🙂

“We don't send money to Hollywood, but share it locally”

Widerøe (domestic airline)

This advert focuses on the relationship between a little boy and his grandfather, with the background message that Widerøe fly to most of Norway's tiny rural airports. It reminds me of the loving-teasing relationship I had with my late grandfather years ago (I guess that's the point!) and it just makes me smile. Even though the kid freaks me out a little.

This video has English subtitles, by the way 🙂

Stratos Chocolate Bar

The dancing blue cow! I love this for no other reason than the crazy cow-bell moment in the final few seconds.

Stratos is basically Aero, by the way.

Komplett.no – Trusted by Geeks

These two guys feature in several adverts for this electronics webshop, but this is the first one I saw. The advert references the company's beginnings in 1996, with the founders dreaming (a loose translation here!) “one day we'll be the best in all the north – and we'll have robots!”

It then cuts to the same two geeks, older, standing over their automated warehouse.

Nerdy as hell, but I love it.

Kvikk Lunsj – Takk for turen

Ah, Kvikk Lunsj, the legendary snack for hikers and skiers up and down the country. This advert was made to mark the 70th anniversary of the humble chocolate bar but barely references it, focusing instead on the brand's intrinsic link with the great Norwegian outdoors.

It features Norway's network of volunteers setting up the trails relied upon by hikers and skiers all year round.

The literal translation of “Takk for turen” is “thanks for the trip”, but “tur” in Norwegian means more of an expedition, the experience as a whole, whether hiking or skiing.

Imagine a car company using “thanks for the ride” to celebrate 70 years and you're half way there!

Canal Digital's Silver Hand

Ever get the feeling modern culture is passing you by? This advert reminds me of how I feel when I return to the UK and everyone's talking about some X-Factor or Big Brother contestant. I feel for this man, I really do!

Terrific advert though, and my favourite on this list. In case you can't work it out, the advert promotes a catch-up TV service from one of the main digital TV providers in Norway.

The final caption reads “Don't miss out on what you can't miss out on.”

The Finn.no Cat

Aww! Now hands up, I am definitely a dog person, but this is one cool cat. Finn.no is a Norwegian online marketplace where you can find anything from a new home to a new job and yes, even cats can find plumbers.

At least in theory.

Postnord Logistics

A series of adverts in which top American journalist Rob Fliskin investigates PostNord Logistics. Do they really work in close partnership with their clients? Do they really cover the Nordic Region? What are they hiding? Join Rob Fliskin in his hunt for the truth.

After over a year of watching this advert, today I picked up a parcel delivered by PostNord right here in Trondheim, so I can confirm they do indeed cover the Nordics!

Stabburet Mackerel

A hungry child wants more mackerel (yes, really), so the mother has to switch to English to explain that fish is healthy, because the kids won't want to eat healthy food if they know that's what it is.

A nice touch switching to a third language at the very end, too!

This advert also serves the purpose of showing how young Norwegian children are when they understand English!

Djuice Collection

Last but definitely not least, the Djuice mobile phone network created these super cute characters that have taken on a life of their own. I couldn't choose just one, so here are my three favourites! First up, one for all of us Apple fanboys out there 😉

Secondly, grab a tissue, the dog is dead, son. Or is it?

And finally, we've all done this:

Over to you – what are your favourite TV adverts in Norway?