A Swedish company invited Americans to escape Trump and it worked too well
Reuters/Lucy Nicholson
The day after President Trump won the election over Hillary Clinton, Swedish ad agency Round & Round put out an invitation to all Americans: Escape Trump. Come work in Sweden.
Two months later, the agency already regrets the decision.
"A lot has happened since November," Round & Round's head of content told the Local on Inauguration Day. "We've had a whopping 857 applicants for one job, which is both fantastic for us, and regrettable for the world. It's remarkable how the campaign has played out."
Immediately after the November 8 elections, Round and Round, one of the leading agencies for major Swedish brands, told visitors on its newly listed website, "The Great Trump Escape," that "You are looking for a new country, we are looking for new talent!"
It cited a sobering statistic — that one in 4 Americans said they would look to leave the US if Trump won — as the main reason for the launch.
Andreas Ullenius, Round and Round's executive creative director and co-founder, told Business Insider after the launch that he wished he didn't have to issue the invitation.
"Unfortunately, I wish we would have Hillary for president and no applications," he said.
According to the Local, hundreds of people applied in earnest, but many applied out of the very kind of hopelessness the initiative half-jokingly served.
"It's definitely mixed emotions," Aslan said. "We definitely didn't hope for this when we were trying to tap in to the discussion. Then it played out as it did."
For people who want to join that mission and move to Sweden, the process is actually much simpler than the other popular option of moving to Canada.
Though learning the local tongue definitely helps, immigrants don't technically need to learn Swedish. They must only spend five years in the country, avoid committing any crimes, and — as competitive as it may be, post-election — find a job.
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