It’s a common sight in the Greek summer – crestfallen, painfully sunburnt tourists walking around the country’s monuments and beaches after the country’s famous sunshine has gotten the better of them. This year, Greeks have been invited to pitch in and help such tourists – and Danes in particular, avoid getting burnt, through a humorous campaign which allows them to “adopt” a Dane and make sure they enjoy the sunshine safely.
The Danish Cancer Society and Trygfonden Foundation launched their sun safety initiative a month ago with the motto “Help a Dane”, aimed at helping Danes wise up to sun safety.
While the initial campaign may have been somewhat tongue-in-cheek, now thanks to a reverse campaign in Greece the idea is picking up serious momentum.
“The Danish venture definitely made an impression on us.” says 33-year-old engineer Yiannis Rentzos who is the mastermind behind the ‘Greeks For Help A Dane’ campaign that launched off the back of the Danish one. “I watched the video together with some of my colleagues and took it as a challenge to promote Greek tourism.” he explains.
And so the local “Help a Dane” movement started in earnest. A team of Greek volunteers each adopt a Dane who they welcome to Greece and educate about sun safety. “We give them information, offer them sun protection products, act as guides and take them to our favorite beaches,” says Rentzos. “The strength of experience is greater than the influence of a single advertising initiative. We rarely exploit the full potential of schemes that can promote our tourism industry, which is a vital sector. The Danes we host will become the best ambassadors for our country.”
Their goal is to show a more positive side of Greece and thank those who still holiday here despite the country’s problems. The young engineer is in contact with the Danish side of the endeavor and is currently in the process of launching his NGO “Greeks for Ηelp a Dane”.
“If all goes well, we’ll extend it to other countries beyond Denmark through social media and targeted marketing.” concludes Rentzos.
Simultaneously, a YouTube video titled “Help a Dane – The Greek Edition” (seen above) has been launched which shows a group of Greeks explaining in fluent Danish how locals protect themselves from the sun and enjoy life. It’s no surprise that the cosmetics company Korres also grabbed the chance to launch videos along the same to promote their suncare products:
The above has been adapted from an article originally published in Greek by Kathimerini, written by Ioanna Fotiadi.
