Last year Shannon blogged about an innovative ad campaign by Danish travel company, Spies Travel. This campaign, entitled “Do It for Denmark”, tried to use Denmark’s falling birth and fertility rates to inspire couples to take a romantic holiday and conceive while overseas. The ad was quirky, fun and suggested that not only was overseas travel with your partner fun, but that it was also the patriotic thing to do.

Fast-forward 18 months and the Danish crude birth rate stands at 9.9 births per 1000 people and the total fertility rate is 1.69 births per woman – still lower than the 2.1 children per woman considered the population replacement rate. So, to help out Denmark’s demographic woes (and presumably to also help with its sales – but I’m sure that this is a secondary consideration…) Spies Travel has reprised its marketing campaign with a “Do It for Denmark: Mark II” advertisement.

Instead this time the video, (can be seen here – warning, it does contain mildly suggestive images!) calls upon Danes to take a romantic summer holiday not just for their country’s sake but also for their mother’s sake – “Do It for Mum”. Because otherwise she won’t have any grandchildren.

Furthermore, the first 100 couples to book will also receive an “activity package” which includes champagne, massage oil and protein bars.  While of course the video is humorous, it does highlight that the reality of low birthrates and demographic decline in many western countries is coming more and more into the mainstream. (Although in Europe at the moment it may be somewhat overshadowed by a more pressing demographic issue: mass immigration.)