Iceland caricatures Mark Zuckerberg’s ‘metaverse’ video to create tourism advert

Video features actor Jorundur Ragnarsson as ‘Chief Visionary Officer Zack Mossbergsson’

A satirical ad from Iceland has mocked Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s efforts to rebrand his company into “Meta” by introducing audiences to the reality of the “Icelandverse”.

It’s been two weeks since Mr Zuckerberg’s announcement of his company’s rebranding, but online mocking and trolling of the rebrand has not ceased to exist.

One such video, that caricatures the chief executive, has come from “Inspired by Iceland”, a communication platform owned by Business Iceland, which is a public-private partnership with the country’s department of tourism that seeks to promote and market Iceland.

The video, uploaded to Inspired by Iceland’s social media pages on 11 November, features Icelandic actor and writer Jorundur Ragnarsson, who plays a character called “Chief Visionary Officer Zack Mossbergsson”.

Donning a long-sleeved black T-shirt, Mr Ragnarsson can be seen in the video imitating the Facebook founder’s awkward style.

“Today, I want to talk about a revolutionary approach on how to connect our world, without being super weird,” Mr Ragnarsson says in the video, kicking off a tour of the country’s breathtaking tourist attractions.

“Some said it’s not possible. Some said it’s out of reach. To them, we say it’s already here. Seriously. Look, it’s right here,” he adds, pointing at a window showing vast, snow-covered mountains that dot the country.

Mr Ragnarsson then takes a jibe at Mr Zuckerberg’s push into virtual reality by saying that “the Icelandverse enhanced actual reality, without silly-looking headsets. In our open-world experience, everything is real.”

The parody highlights the scenic beauty of Iceland, including the country’s hot springs, waterfalls and snow-capped mountains. The ad also mocks Mr Zuckerberg for his use of sunscreen, which he has often been photographed using.

Mr Zuckerberg acknowledged the parody and responded to Inspired by Iceland’s Facebook page. “Amazing. I need to make a trip to the Icelandverse soon. Glad you’re wearing sunscreen too,” he said.

The clever video has become an instant hit on social media, as it has registered over 3.5 million views on Twitter alone.

“The hand movements had me crying,” wrote historian Mar Hicks, in a quote tweet.

“This is the stuff of genius,” wrote another Twitter user.

The Nordic country has been a popular travel destination among European tourists prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2019, Iceland reportedly welcomed two million visitors and it is likely to welcome around 700,000 travellers this year.

During Meta’s rebranding exercise in October, Mr Zuckerberg had revealed a glimpse of his company’s plans to build the “metaverse,” which is a digital world built with the capability of connecting people in futuristic virtual landscapes through the help of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality technologies, according to the founder.