Norway's Salmon Sushi Conquest: A Marketing Masterpiece

Norway's Salmon Success: How a Decade-Long Campaign Conquered the Japanese Sushi Market In the 1980s, Norway faced a surplus of Atlantic salmon. Their solution? Project Japan, a bold marketing campaign to introduce raw salmon into Japanese cuisine. This was no easy feat, as traditional sushi used tuna, snapper, and mackerel, and there were concerns about parasites in raw salmon. The Norwegian government invested heavily in the project, sending chefs and diplomats to Japan to promote their salmon. They held expos and gave free samples to Japanese chefs. They even ran campaigns highlighting the cleanliness and parasite-free nature of their Atlantic salmon. "Though this might sound like a conspiracy theory," says Jimmy Maio, the video's creator, "salmon sushi wasn't actually invented by the Japanese, but by the Norwegians." Despite slow initial progress, Norway persisted for over a decade. By the early 1990s, salmon sushi started appearing on conveyor belts in Japan, and high-end restaurants joined in. The campaign's success is a testament to the power of long-term marketing and cultural adaptation. It's often considered one of the greatest marketing wins of all time.