Best of 2021: Forget Meta, enter the 'Icelandverse'

Through New Year's, we will be counting down our picks for 2021's 30 best ads and creative marketing ideas.

At No. 29: When Iceland hijacked one of the biggest news events of the year, Facebook's rebrand to Meta.

While Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has invited all to join him in the Metaverse, another exec says there’s an even better world to explore. Yesterday, Zack Mossbergsson, another so-called “chief visionary officer,” appeared on social media in a new video promoting what seems to be the next big thing. 

See the full list of 2021's Best Ads.

“I want to talk about a revolutionary approach on how to connect our world without being super weird,” he says. “Some said it’s not possible. Some said, it’s out of reach. To them, we say it’s already here.”

It is, in fact, already here because Mossbergsson is actually referring to the nation of Iceland, or what he dubs “the Icelandverse.” 

“Seriously, look it’s right here,” he insists as he fidgets with a real door in the meat-space, before going on to showcase the country’s beautiful landscapes, waterfalls, flora and fauna. 

“In our open-world experience, everything is real,” he says. “It’s completely immersive, with water that’s wet ... skies you can see with your eyeballs.”

The film is rife with Meta digs. Zuckerberg’s intro video depicted him switching back and forth between the real and virtual worlds, showing his avatar riding a surfboard and wearing an obscene amount of sunscreen. 

The Iceland video sees Mossbergsson, his face caked with a mud mask, taking a dip into a hot spring—with another live person. “You’re human, right?” he asks his companion.

The video comes from Inspired by Iceland, a marketing platform for the country’s tourism and products. According to Iceland Monitor, Mossbergsson is actually a character played by actor Jörundur Ragnarsson.

Zuckerberg himself appreciated the joke and posted a response to the video on Facebook. “Amazing,” he wrote. “I need to make a trip to the Icelandverse soon. Glad you're wearing sunscreen too.”