Visit Sweden Asks Switzerland to Sign an Agreement to End Country Confusion Once and for All

It's 2023, and yet people still tend to confuse Sweden with Switzerland. Some of the most educated and powerful people on earth can't even tell the two countries apart. Determined to end this confusion once and for all, Visit Sweden proposes action in this new campaign from Forsman & Bodenfors.  

After decades of confusion, Sweden is tired of being mixed up with Switzerland. And Switzerland is probably just as tired of being mixed up with Sweden. Global travelers, global leaders, the New York Stock Exchange, and event organisers have all done it. Even if several attempts to keep the two countries apart have been made over the years, none have been successful enough to end the confusion. 

“I know a lot of people from both Sweden and Switzerland have experienced the confusion. I certainly have. For example, a couple of months ago I was in New York, asking for directions to our New York office. But when I stepped into the lobby, I realised that I was at the Swiss General Consulate. Back out on the street, slightly embarrassed, I was even more convinced in this idea,” said Nils Persson, chief marketing officer at Visit Sweden. 

To end the confusion, Visit Sweden, the Swedish tourist board, is now reaching out to their European friend in a new campaign. The ambition is to make a clear distinction between the two countries by deciding who talks about what. The first draft of the official settlement between Sweden and Switzerland has been presented and Visit Sweden is hopeful to get it signed – but is open to discussions. 

Sweden's plea is simple: “We will be able to communicate things like sandbanks, rooftops, and silence. Meanwhile, Switzerland will focus on banks, mountain tops, and loud noises.” 

“Making Sweden stand out in the competitive world of tourism isn’t easy. And if people think that Sweden is the same country as Switzerland, that obviously makes it even harder. With this campaign, we can hopefully solve both these problems,” said Marcus Hägglöf, creative at Forsman & Bodenfors.

During the last few years, Visit Sweden has developed a well-defined communication platform including brand strategy, communication strategy, and a brand concept together with Forsman & Bodenfors. This campaign is the result of the ongoing work to brand and market Sweden as a destination and is the first global activation launched under the long-term brand concept “A destination of a different nature”.