London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Aug 20, 2026

Iceland spoofs Mark Zuckerberg’s ‘Meta’ unveiling in tourism video

Iceland spoofs Mark Zuckerberg’s ‘Meta’ unveiling in tourism video

Inspired by Iceland says skip the metaverse and visit the country without wearing ‘silly looking headsets’

The metaverse is getting an icy reception from an unexpected place: Iceland.

A tourism video ad by the country on Thursday spoofed Mark Zuckerberg and his unveiling last month of the virtual world he expects people will work, play and interact with each other while wearing a virtual reality headset.

In the video, the Mr. Zuckerberg look-alike dons a dark ensemble and a short combed-forward hairstyle like the Meta Platforms Inc. chief executive officer. The doppelgänger looks into the camera, urging people to visit "Icelandverse," a place that has "water that’s wet," where "silly looking headsets" aren’t needed and has real "humans to connect with."

The real Mr. Zuckerberg, who envisions the metaverse as the future of the internet, didn’t seem to have any hard feelings.


"Amazing," wrote Mr. Zuckerberg in a Facebook comment under the video. "I need to make a trip to the Icelandverse soon."


Mr. Zuckerberg last month unveiled his vision of the metaverse, showing off a virtual world where avatars can head to work meetings or watch a concert. Facebook Inc. changed its name to Meta Platforms Inc., a decision that reflects the company’s perceived growth opportunities beyond its namesake social-media platform.

The two-minute spoof video, made by Inspired by Iceland, which promotes the country’s sites to tourists, had just over 100,000 views on YouTube Friday afternoon and more than 500,000 views on Facebook.

Inspired by Iceland didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

In one scene, the man spoofing Mr. Zuckerberg wears a thick coat of white sunscreen, an apparent reference to a popular meme of Mr. Zuckerberg surfing with a face full of the white cream.

"Glad you’re wearing sunscreen too," Mr. Zuckerberg said in his Facebook comment, ending it with a sideways laughing emoji.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Inflation Rises to 2.9% as Energy Bills Jump
A Sleepless Night on Wall Street: Nasdaq to Begin Nearly Round-the-Clock Trading
"The First in the World": 69-Year-Old Protested Artificial Intelligence—and Went to Jail
Ukraine's Ousted Defence Minister Calls for Wartime Presidential Election
UK Marks Ten Years of Night Tube as London Weekend Usage Exceeds Eighty-One Thousand Journeys a Night
Met Office Issues Thunderstorm Warnings Across Northern Ireland Over Flash-Flood Risk
Frasers Group Raises Stake in Hugo Boss to Nearly Forty-Eight Percent
Scottish Clyde Marine Pilots Prepare for Strike That Could Disrupt Glasgow and Greenock Shipping
Twenty Passengers Injured After Southern Train Derails Near Lewes in East Sussex
Government Rules Out High-Speed Rail Revival Between West Midlands and Northern England
West Midlands Bus Network Returns to Public Ownership in Twenty-Four Million Pound Deal
UK Competition Watchdog Targets Trainline, Virgin Atlantic and RED Driving School Over Drip Pricing
Northern Ireland Health Minister Mike Nesbitt Resigns After Dispute Over Causeway Hospital Surgery Closure
UK Long-Term Government Bond Yields Rise to Five Point Eight Five Percent as Borrowing Costs Surge
UK Government Overhauls Planning Rules to Push Housing Development Near Major Transport Hubs
UK Health and Economic Pressures Highlight Wider Strain on Households and Public Finances
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Reaffirms Full Support for Ukraine Amid Russian Warnings
Sainsbury’s Suspends Live Facial Recognition at London Store After Customer Misidentified
Artists Urge UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Reject New North Sea Oil and Gas Licensing
UK Government Awards Four Hundred and Fifty-Six Million Pound Civil Service Training Contract to EY and KPMG
Global Government Bond Yields Rise as Middle East Conflict Fuels Inflation Concerns
British Housing Market Records Weakest August Since Two Thousand and Eighteen as Asking Prices Fall
UK Announces New Sanctions on Russian Shadow Fleet and Financial Institutions
UK Approves Virgin Rail Group Services Through Channel Tunnel, Challenging Eurostar
UK Government Backs Three Hundred Million Pound AI Investment Zone in North Lanarkshire
UK Declares National Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Imported Eggs
China’s Lifelike AI Humans Move From Livestreams Into Real-World Service Roles
UK Government Rolls Out £5.8 Billion Regional Investment Programme to Revive High Streets
AstraZeneca Ends Late-Stage Lung Cancer Trial After Data Shows No Survival Benefit
London Stocks Fall for Sixth Day as Bond Yields and Middle East Tensions Weigh on Markets
UK Government Rewrites Planning Rules to Accelerate Housing Near Transport Hubs
UK Wildfires Spread Across Southern England as Met Office Issues Severe Heat Warnings
British Doctors Warn Cancer Care Is at Risk as Hospitals Reject More Than a Quarter of Urgent Referrals
UK Hospitals Suspend Critical Care as Extreme Heat Exposes Infrastructure Failures
Sarah Ferguson Reportedly Retreats to Late Ex-Boyfriend's Swiss Chalet
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez Sign Prenup Protecting Their Separate Fortunes
Thieves Steal Antonello da Messina Renaissance Masterpieces From Sicilian Museum
Better.com Founder Who Fired 900 Employees on Zoom Is Ousted as CEO
Italian Speed Camera Issues Nearly 32,000 Fines in 10 Weeks, Worth More Than €3 Million
AI Manager at San Francisco Store Recommends Firing Human Employee
Google Launches Pixel 11 With Gemini AI at the Center of Its Hardware Strategy
Campaigners Press Government to Strengthen Rights for Four Million Gig Workers
Government Considers Higher Private Rents to Spread Asylum Accommodation Across UK
UK Moves to Protect Historic Pubs From Conversion Into Housing and Offices
Nigel Farage Wins Clacton By-Election to Return to House of Commons
British Manufacturers Report Rising Cybersecurity Threats Across Industrial Supply Chains
Royal Navy Increases Monitoring of Russian Ships in UK Waters by 25 Percent
England Adds More Than 350 Medical Training Posts to Strengthen NHS Capacity
NHS Waiting Lists Over 52 Weeks Rise by More Than 11,000 Patients
Brent Crude Near $88 Raises Fresh UK Energy Cost Concerns
×