Opera will pay you $10,000 for a week of browsing the web on world's loneliest island

Norwegian internet browser Opera today announced a new promotional campaign to boost its rather small market share which currently stands at just under 3%, according to data from StatCounter.

Users of Opera – but also users of other competing browsers – can now apply to win a trip to a lonely Icelandic island. The bonus: $10,000 boost to your bank account.

The choice of the location is not coincidental. As part of the campaign, Opera promotes one of the newer additions to its feature set, Tab Islands. It allows websites opened in the tab bar to be grouped and collapsed into a single tab. The feature is useful, especially for those who chronically have a billion tabs opened across the browser windows.

The campaign describes the story of a man – a fictional Opera employee – living on the Vestmannaeyjar islands, focusing on the browsing experience and sharing feedback with developers. The man is leaving for a vacation and you can fill his apparently indispensable position for a week.

However, apart from the marketing-first communication, there is not much to add. If you are interested in the promotional offer and don’t mind traveling to Iceland to spend some time physically disconnected from the world, you can apply on Opera’s website.

The lucky winner will get the money, a two-way airline ticket to Iceland’s capital Reykjavik, and free transport to the house on Bjarnarey island.

There is also one last bonus. The free seven-day accommodation is meant for two people. So, if you want, you don’t have to be that lonely.

There are no specific requirements for the winner, however, applicants have to answer a question about what Tabfulness – a term used heavily across Opera’s marketing communication – means according to them.

The company says it will pick a contestant based on the creativity of their answer. Also, the applicant has to participate in an interview with the Opera team before he is officially declared a winner.

The contest ends on February 25, Opera will announce the winner four days later on X (Twitter).