‘We were quite surprised’: Finland’s embassy goes viral with staff training day post on Instagram

The Finnish embassy in Canberra, Australia, unexpectedly went viral on Instagram after posting a mundane update about a staff training day. The post garnered millions of views and likes, surprising the ambassador and staff who were not expecting such global attention.
Why it matters
This illustrates the unpredictable nature of social media algorithms and the public's appetite for lighthearted, humanizing content from diplomatic institutions.
Finland’s ambassador to Australia, Arto Haapea: ‘I think people are just looking for good news.’ Finland’s ambassador to Australia, Arto Haapea: ‘I think people are just looking for good news.’ Social media ‘We were quite surprised’: Finland’s embassy goes viral with staff training day post on Instagram After a promotion for a ‘Finnish Dinner Date’ went ‘a bit viral’, the Canberra envoy’s next post became an unlikely social media hit
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Prefer the Guardian on Google The embassy of Finland in Canberra was temporarily closed on Tuesday, 10 November.
Millions of people across the world were, it turns out, quite upset by this.
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