Do you want to give up the reins? Icelandic horses can compose your automatic absence responses by email with great hoof kicks. This service was just launched by Icelandic tourism office.
The Icelandic Agency reveals its secret in a humorous promotional video. It has a giant keyboard that horses of the Icelandic breed can use to trample on the keys in some of the most picturesque landscapes of the island. It is far from the expected professional etiquette, with messages such as “JJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJjJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJKJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJJAJJJJJiiiiiiiith HTML0:l:oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:l;l:oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:l:l:l:l:l:l:l:l:l:l:oiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii:0_
This service is called Outhorse your email and has been subscribed by 8,000 people. It’s a horse-like translation of the English verb Outsource (Outsource your mail). Our colleague from AFP Sigridur Dogg Gundsdottir, Head of Visit Iceland, explained that “Iceland launched OutHorse Your Email to help travelers disconnect and enjoy all the country has to offer, uninterrupted”.
More than 140,000 views
One of the most iconic symbols of Iceland is the small Icelandic horses, sometimes mistaken for ponies. The video has been viewed more than 140,000 times since its posting on May 19. It shows a tourist playing an actress who is annoyed by the dozens of emails she receives while on vacation at sublime locations. These include the Solheimajokull Glacier, diving in the Silfra Fault, and taking photos during an eruption of a geyser. Based on a survey that revealed 55% of respondents checked their email less than once per day while they were on vacation, the tourist agency used this data to create videos around the globe. She encouraged her visitors to shout on an online platform in July 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. The sound was then broadcast in seven countries deserts. She parodied Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg’s Metaverse by juxtaposing it with an idyllic “Icelandverse” last fall.
