At a minimum, most photography jobs usually require people to at least be good at taking photos and have expertise with a camera—but Icelandair is on the hunt for "a really bad photographer" to prove that even the worst one can take great photos of Iceland. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity includes a 10-day trip to Iceland, with travel expenses covered, plus $50,000 USD for photographs, content, and participation, and photos may appear in an upcoming global campaign, as well as other publications and exhibitions.
According to Icelandair, the ideal candidate has no professional photography background, no special interest in learning photography, is frequently disappointed with the photos they take, and finds themselves occasionally surprised when a photo turns out just okay.
Photogenic Destination Campaigns
Icelandair is Searching for a Really Bad Photographer
Trend Themes
1. Democratized Travel Marketing - Campaigns driven by nonprofessional creators enable brands to disrupt polished imagery norms by surfacing relatable, low-fidelity visuals that resonate more authentically with mainstream travelers.
2. Authenticity-first Campaigns - A shift toward candid, imperfect content presents the chance to upend staged storytelling by reframing perceived flaws as distinctive narrative assets.
3. Anti-expert Branding - Brands embracing amateur perspectives create room for disruptive positioning that challenges authority-led expertise and celebrates everyday user creativity.
Industry Implications
1. Airlines - Opportunities exist in airlines to redefine destination promotion through passenger-generated imagery that emphasizes experiential relatability over traditional aspirational photography.
2. Tourism and Destination Marketing - Destination marketers can leverage imperfect, user-shot visuals to disrupt standard postcard aesthetics and broaden emotional appeal across diverse traveler segments.
3. Advertising and Creative Agencies - Creative firms have space to innovate by building campaign models that center nonprofessional content sources, thereby altering production economics and creative hierarchies.