Maxbo is a home improvement store. Think of it as a Norwegian Home Depot.

An english voice with a strong mock-German accent is pitching home improvement products from Maxbo to to German tourists. Why? The voice argues that because the exchange rate between the Norwegian krone and the Euro is unusually good in favour of the Euro, Germans should consider buying some untraditional souvenirs from Maxbo before going home to Germany.

Norway is historically an expensive country, something visiting tourists have experienced over the years. In the summer of 2023 all this changed. As global inflation hit the Norwegian krone, the currency's exchange rate plummeted in comparison to the Euro and Danish kroner. And suddenly Norway was a cheap holiday destination for tourists from all over Europe. Instead of the usual price-shocked, I-can't-believe-a-beer-is-15 EURs-complaining tourists, Norwegian media was full of stories about visitors who were pleasantly surprised about the prices.

Riding this wave, Maxbo aired a series of radio commercials that seemingly tried to sell products like garden furniture, paint and floor boards to tourists driving around Norway in their RVs. This was just a gimmick to get attention from Norwegians, but it worked.

The radio spots was aired in August, when the amount of foreign tourists visiting Norway Europeans reaches its peak.

The spots are intentionally acted out with a bad Norwegian German-English to underline the pretended target group and humour in the spots.

Inflation, rising interest rates and historically high energy prices are all taking its toll on the home improvement sector. Maxbo however is doing better than their competitors, and are growing their share of the market as the sector as a whole is dropping.

Also:

Maxbo has historically lost market shares to their competitors. But now Maxbo is increasing their shares in a falling market.

Hello German tourists.

You are probably here to see mountains and fjords, and buy expensive souvenirs like trolls and marius gensers(a traditional Norwegian woolen sweater).

BUT NORWAY IS SO CHEAP NOW, so how about a SUPER price on Drygolin colour expert interiørmaling(a Norwegian interior paint) from Maxbo. A souvenir that would last for decades!

YES! Maxbo: Naturlich kannst du(off course you can(in German)).

That means Off course you can in Norwegian