PR Win: How Icelandair Bucked the Influencer Model to Earn Global Media Coverage

In travel marketing, the standard operating procedure is predictable: brands hire
professional photographers, provide high-end gear, and curate imagery
to drive bookings. Icelandair recently secured a massive wave of global earned
media by doing the exact opposite.

By launching a search for a really bad photographer —and offering $50,000 in
compensation plus an all-expenses-paid trip—the airline utilized a strategic PR
tactic: Pattern Interruption. [See our analysis on YouTube.]

Breaking the Traditional Model

Typically, paid travel opportunities are reserved for those with the highest
technical skill. Icelandair’s campaign succeeded because it was surprising. In a
saturated media landscape, “Airline Hires Professional Photographer” is not a
story. “Airline Hires Person Who Can’t Take a Photo” is a headline that journalists
across NPR, Daily Hive, and major news syndicates felt compelled to cover.

Why the Inversion Worked

• Subverting Expectations: Because the industry has always prioritized
high-fidelity visuals, Icelandair’s bad photographer" requirement felt novel and
counterintuitive. This novelty is what triggered the initial surge of earned media.

• The Narrative: While the offer was the hook, the underlying
message was strategic. It means that Iceland is so naturally beautiful that
professional skill is unnecessary. They used a surprising offer to validate the
quality of the primary product: Iceland.

• Cost-Effectiveness: The $50,000 investment functioned as a catalyst for
millions of dollars in equivalent advertising value. By choosing a path that had
never been taken—specifically, the path opposite to the industry standard—they
ensured the campaign would be self-distributing.

PR Takeaway

The Icelandair campaign is a reminder that a underutilized but effective way to
gain media attention is to identify an industry and intentionally subvert it.
When a brand does what has always been done, it’s less visible. When a brand
does the opposite of what has always been done, it becomes news.

For PR professionals, the lesson is that a counterintuitive offer is often more
valuable than a massive advertising budget. Success in this instance wasn’t
about the photos—it was about the surprise.

Are you a “really bad photographer”? Apply with Icelandair today.

Want a PR Win for your organization? Contact us today. We can get you the wins.