Entrant Company
Prime Weber Shandwick
Entry Type
Public Service
The Swedish Prescription turned Sweden into the world’s first country that doctors could prescribe.
Created for Visit Sweden, Sweden’s national tourism board, the campaign was designed to strengthen Sweden’s relevance as a travel destination across multiple international markets. Instead of competing through iconic landmarks or dramatic scenery, the idea focused on what defines Sweden everywhere: a way of life built around balance, nature, culture and recovery.
Inspired by the growing global practice of doctors prescribing social, cultural and nature based activities to support wellbeing, the Swedish way of life was reframed as a science based prescription. Developed in collaboration with Yvonne Forsell, senior professor at Karolinska Institutet, and supported by doctors in several markets, everyday Swedish activities were structured into a formal, downloadable prescription. These included sauna, ice bathing, time in nature, calm cultural experiences, silence, natural light, restorative sleep, and fika, a Swedish daily coffee ritual centred on connection, pause and social wellbeing.
To ensure the idea could travel across borders, the campaign was built around one clear, adaptable concept. A humorous hero film presented Sweden as a medicine, using dry, understated Swedish humour as a consistent tonal platform.
PR was the primary distribution engine in every country. Supported by social media, owned channels and selective out of home activations in New York and Düsseldorf, the campaign became a globally shared news story. The Swedish Prescription demonstrated how one culturally grounded idea can be executed consistently across markets, positioning Sweden as a destination for recovery and wellbeing and transforming travel into preventive healthcare.