Strange video implores residents of sunny climes to help pale-skinned Danes avoid sunburn

‘Help a Dane’ garnering giggles and quizzical looks

‘All that we share’, a recent video made by the Danish commercial TV network TV2, is a genuine viral sensation.

Since its release in English late last month, the advert has won rave reviews for reminding us that despite our different backgrounds, we share so much more in common.

Not to be outdone, the Danish Cancer Society has released a video in several languages asking the citizens of five sunny countries to help pale-skinned Danish tourists avoid getting sunburned when they visit.

Oddly compelling
Danish presenter Mikael Bertelsen explains – quite well, it would seem – in Thai, French, Spanish, Italian and Greek that “Denmark needs your help” and asks locals to help Danes avoid sunburn via hats, breaks from the sun and sunscreen.

“Every year, thousands of Danes travel to sunny destinations on holiday,” says Bertelsen in the five separate 2:20 videos.

“Unfortunately, many of them return home with a sunburn that increases the risk of skin cancer. This is an appeal for help.”

A written description cannot do justice to the Fellini-esque bizarreness of, well, a Greek chorus of sunburned Danes lamenting “Ow, ow, ow” as the camera focuses tighter and tighter on Bertelsen. Take a look at the Greek version below.