Does anyone else play the dumb game where they pick the nationality that they’d most prefer to be?
Until earlier this year, my answer was always French. And yes, it would involve wearing a Breton top whilst riding a bike with French Bulldog in the basket. That was until I discovered Rekorderlig’s Swedish School/Svenska Skolan and being French suddenly seemed far too obvious.
Being Swedish is cooler. Fact.
The Swedish cider brand have tapped into the current craze for all things Scandinavian and created a hilarious spoof YouTube campaign aimed squarely at the twenty-something hipster market.
Hapless Brits are taken under the tutorage of Olof Håkansson, a ruggedly handsome gent and master of all things Swede. They are schooled in the Swedish arts of style, sport, language and, err, reindeer. By the end of their time at the school, they will become “Beautifully Swedish”.
The school has been hugely successful so far, with reports of a “marked rise of Swedishness in Birmingham”. People across the nation are accessing their Swedish natural beauty through Rekorderlig’s tried and tested techniques. Here are five tips to help you draw out your Beautifully Swedish side:
1. Swedish Style: understated, effortlessly cool, utilitarian. A capsule wardrobe is a essential. Less is definitely more.
2. Living Space: uncluttered, streamlined, clean living. All rooms must be minimalistic with no chintz.
3. Social Life: Swedish Sauna with friends and family, games of Kuub in the great outdoors. Take regular camping trips and partake in sports such as handball or ice hockey.
4. Food: enjoy dishes of meatballs, herring, beetroot salads and Falukorv, a Swedish sausage.
5. Beauty: regular massages are essential. Wear neutral make up and style your hair with simple designs.
Once you’ve tried these out, you can tell Twitter about your wild salmon-like journey to Swedish beauty using the hashtag #SwedishSchool.
A London-based Rekorderlig Svenska Skolan is coming soon. Watch this space... or as they say in Sweden, titta på detta utrymme.