Ask any Dane you know about the OBS spots, and they will tell you a story from their favourite ones. You see, those spots are now legendary in Denmark and have helped grow many generations of Danes.
Many claim that those spots have also contributed to better and more informed citizens, thus making Danish society more cohesive and integrated.
But what are the OBS spots? Follow our story!
What does OBS stand for?
OBS stands for Oplysninger til Borgerne om Samfundet, which means Information for Citizens about Society. That sounds a bit socialistic, right?
Well, it kind of is. It all started in the 1970s when the first state-supported info spot aired on national TV.
It was October 4th, 1977. Thousands of short informational TV spots have aired ever since, some of which are loved and cherished until today.
They were originally inspired by Swedish television’s Anslagstavlan, which were similar TV spots for bringing information of general interest to the public via their tellies.
Those spots were to be aired until they reached 1 million viewers (based on SVT’s own ratings and measurements).
As good neighbours and close friends, the Danes took the concept and brought it to life on Danish television.
Similarly to the Swedish spots, the Danish OBS spots inform and educate. Popular topics are societal issues (for example, abuse of alcohol), health, the environment, or the citizens’ rights and duties.
The prerequisite for any OBS spot to get approved by DR and air is that the information presented must be objective and factual.
The message must not be ambiguous; it has to be clear so that everyone interprets it the same way.
No ads or information supporting political parties, religions, or private interests are allowed.
Why have they been such an integral part of Denmark’s public life?
Denmark has a long tradition of adult education.
Although the country’s size and population would suggest otherwise, the state has always strived to educate its citizens to create a closely-knit and coherent society. That effort extends beyond formal education at schools and universities.
It’s all about the famous folkeoplysning which means people’s information or enlightenment (or both). Inspired and founded by N. F. S. Grundtvig in the 1800s, folkeoplysning aimed at making the Danes educated and active members of society.
Moreover, he envisioned a system in which the “living words” would take hold over formal study and exams. “Living words” included discussion, storytelling, and debate.
With time and the advancement of adult education in Denmark, a unique system of double democracy was created. Apart from the official state democracy (with elections, the parliament, the government, etc.), another parallel democracy was created: that of the citizens. Between citizens, one could say.
Perhaps the most notable example of folkeoplysning in Denmark is the people’s colleges (folkehøiskoler in Danish, meaning something like peopleøs high schools). Those are non-formal adult education institutions that offer short or long courses (varying from 1 week to 1 year) to all citizens who want to learn more about a specific subject, acquire new skills, meet new people and socialize.
“Students” stay in the institution for the duration of the course (i.e. accommodation and food are provided) and have a specific schedule of shared activities, like morning gatherings and breakfast, singing together, a few lectures or workshops, lots of discussion and debate, and fun activities in the evening.
What about the OBS spots? One may say that they serve the same purpose as the højskoler. Their goal is to educate the citizens in a fun, engaging way. So, it’s safe to claim that the spots can be broadly included in the grand scheme of “non-formal adult education” in Denmark.
People still cherish the OBS spots today, although they are mostly gone. In the era of the internet and fast-paced information and education, it’s still fun to watch a man patiently waiting to catch a fish by the lake while drinking booze until he falls into the water “drunk”, for example. As the spot advised, “Think about how often and how much alcohol you drink!”
