Danish milk producer Arla has begun selling skyr in the UK, the dairy product’s Icelandic origin being a point of emphasis in the marketing campaign.
“So what is it that gives the Icelandic people their stamina? Well…we couldn’t possibly say it’s down to Arla Skyr, the Icelandic-style yogurt that’s high in protein, low in fat and reduced in sugar,” Arla’s website reads. “But we do know that Icelanders have been eating it their whole lives.”
The reason they couldn’t say that “it’s down to Arla Skyr” is that Arla Skyr isn’t sold in Iceland (our stamina probably comes from lugging around all our extra weight). The only source of skyr in Iceland is our wonderful, state-sponsored milk monopoly.
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what we should be angry about here. Should Icelanders remember the years of suffering Denmark brought on these shores with their centuries-long trade monopoly? Or should we be happy that there’s a dairy competitor on the market to challenge the milk monopoly? In times of doubt, it’s good to have social beacons to lead the way.
In a cute little bullshit ad, a number of esteemed Icelandic actors show us the power of the Danish Krona by selling away the only part of Iceland’s heritage that’s still in use. The last time the ad’s narrator, singer Egill Ólafsson, was in the news, it was because he made an ad that compared voting “yes” in the Icesave referendum to Icelanders selling children to slavery in the 15th century.
I guess we’ve forgiven Denmark then. Enjoy the way they’ve rewritten Icelandic history with this ad, maybe the next ad will feature our beloved Independence hero Jón Sigurðsson enjoying a bowl of skyr and then telling the Danish king that he agrees with him completely.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hLvJ5R9C9A
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