Viking hordes are set to invade Granlibakken Resort and Conference Center Hotel in Tahoe City. But these marauders were invited.
It's all part of a public relations campaign kicked off this month and devised by Weidinger Public Relations of South Lake Tahoe in response to a request by the resort to boost its online presence.
Immediately after posting a YouTube video calling for Viking look-alikes with the lush locks and robust builds of cartoon characters Helga and Hagar the Horrible Granlibakken was inundated with applicants for the spokesperson roles, says Resort Manager Kay Williams.
The campaign grew legs and was picked up by news media in San Francisco, Sacramento, and national radio and wire services. Even The Vikings of Bjornstad, a living history group in California, offered to enter the fray.
"This has been much bigger than we anticipated," says Williams. "But it brings humor into an economy that's not much fun right now."
While Granlibakken, which in Norwegian means "hill sheltered by fir trees," is known for its mountain setting, the resort wanted to promote its robust bandwidth capabilities, she adds. And YouTube is the logical platform for that message.
The resort will select its Viking champions by month end. Details are at granlibakken.com/Viking.
