With the exception of this guy, the Swedes are not known for being a pushy people. Maybe that explains why, despite being the most wired country in Europe, they have remained relatively resistant to online advertising.
A recent survey from the Association of Swedish Advertisers finds a widespread disdain for online advertising, with only 8% of Swedes claiming to like online ads and over half (52%) saying they dislike online advertising on levels on par with spam.
Despite these discouraging statistics, 9 out of 10 Swedish advertisers view online ads as a vital supplement to their traditional campaigns. Banners and co-op ads are most common; more than half advertise on search engines. Ad spending in Sweden for the first quarter of 2005 was up 5.1% compared to the same period last year and is expected to grow to $3.4 billion for the year, according to a report from the Institute for Advertising and Media Statistics.
In case you’re still stuck on that mention of the Swedish Chef, check out this Google Swedish Chef interface, complete with an “Ee’m Feeleeng Loocky” button that lets you search like the human-handed, slightly sinister felt creation.
