The Northern Lights are a tourism drawcard for Iceland. There is no better place from which to view the natural wonder. M&C Saatchi Group and Iceland agency, Peel, are helping Visit Iceland make the most of that asset with a fun mockumentary featuring a fictional society of Northern Lights fanatics who help travellers get Aurora-ready for the dazzling light show.

In the film, directed by Arni Thor Jonsson, the A.U.R.O.R.A.S, the Alliance of Ultra Reliable Observers Ready for Aurora Spotting, answer questions from their (33) fans and busts myths, such as, “No you can’t turn them off with a switch”, and share the best conditions in which to catch them, with advice such as “clouds are BAD”.

Inbetweeners and Fresh Meat comedian, Joe Thomas stars as Nigel, the group’s endearing and geeky leader. The A.U.R.O.R.A.S other members are Helga, the “deadly serious random-detail-devotee co-founder” and Doug, who joined the club “because whale-watching was full”. The club is exclusive, but anyone can join by visiting the website, and taking a test to be member-certified (and perhaps win a trip for two).

The commercial is running across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. Campaign partners are Northern Lights information site, Iceland at Night, and The Glendale App, a free, web-based aurora alerting and forecasting app designed to help users track and predict auroras.