ICA is running this ad "made by Jerry" this week, because today is Sweden's national day. The song in the ad, sung by Jerry, is our unofficial national anthem "Du gamla, du fria". But Jerryfied, or something. Sounds pretty cool, and Jerry is seen working through rain and shine, because he's badass. Unofficial? Yes, you see Richard Dybeck wrote the lyrics to “Song to the North” and set it to a folk tune from the province of Västmanland in the middle of the 19th century. In 1938, the Swedish public radio began a tradition of closing the days broadcast with the song, and it became so popular we now use it as a national anthem. Thou ancient, thou free, thou mountainous North / you are quiet, you joyful beauty! I salute you, most beautiful land upon earth / your sun, your sky, your green meadows. You throne upon memories of great olden days / When honored thy name flew over the earth. I know that you are and stay what you were / Yes, I want to live I want to die in the North! A few years back, I put together this list of what is Swedish, according to advertising, as we're kinda new to this whole celebrating a national holiday thing, and spend most of our time claiming that nothing is really Swedish (except Ikea and caviar sandwiches). In fact saying things or people are "osvenskt" (unswedish) is the most Swedish thing I know.
Ad agency: KING
