Iceland has a lot going for it. After struggling through its own 2008 financial meltdown (after which something was actually done about it), the island nation has returned to its pre-crisis level of function, due in large part to a recent tourism boom. It has some of the world’s most beloved hot dogs. Its youth hockey players are gracious in defeat. A surprisingly high number of your friends’ Instagram accounts feature snapshots of its natural beauty. Fjords!
Now, Iceland is touting its tap water as a delicacy for tourists and locals alike. Behold:
The ad is part of the Kranavatn Challenge, “Kranavatn” being the Icelandic word for “tap water.” Inspired By Iceland, the country’s tourism campaign, is pushing for everybody to drink the country’s lava-filtered glacial tap water in an effort to cut plastic bottle waste.
It’s a strong idea, particularly for tourists, as the understandable stigmas around tap water in some places (the non-rich parts of America, for starters) are worth addressing, especially if you happen to have a boundless deposit of clean natural water at your regular disposal. A survey cited by the campaign notes 65% of respondents admit to using more plastic bottles while travelling than at home.
The Kranavatn Challenge will see restaurants, bars, and even airports offer the “luxury drink” right off the tap, in addition to incentivizing participants who give up their plastic bottles with food and shopping vouchers.
And hey, if your tap water is better than most bottled water anyway, why not flaunt it? This is no Poland Spring situation; you know it’s coming straight from the source.