Bold, distinctive, and humorous city marketing

Located just next to the Finnish capital, Helsinki, Vantaa is a city that has often been overshadowed by its more famous neighbour. Vantaa has been somewhat the underdog of the south, facing a lot of prejudices and criticism. Despite its nearly 250,000 residents, Vantaa lacked a strong city identity, with people mostly associating with their individual neighborhoods.

The City of Vantaa aspired to elevate its stature, aiming to draw more inhabitants to this genuine city that doesn’t put on airs.

Over the last three years, under the "It is what it is" banner, we’ve launched multiple campaigns visible across social, digital channels, and outdoor advertising. These include the campaign targeting potential movers, creating a common identity for the inhabitants of Vantaa with a campaign with stories of genuine locals.

Moreover, we designed and executed a humour-laden podcast series diverging from traditional city marketing, centred around the fictional character from Korso, Tarja Kulho (played by actress Paula Noronen). The campaign was aimed at Vantaa and the major cities in South and Central Finland. In it, the very Vantaa-based character is a detective solving mysteries around the city.

We had a digital ad campaign using various media: Facebook and Instagram, YouTube, Spotify, national news sites, and local news sites. In addition tothis we used outdoor ads in public transport and the radio.

The "It is what it is" campaigns have sparked positive interest nationwide. The 'Tarja Kulho & The Silenced Files' podcast episodes have been listened to over 20,000 times, peaking as the 11th most popular podcast on Spotify in Finland. The series continues to attract dozens of weekly listens. The campaign ads received over 20,000 clicks, and the City of Vantaa's campaign page saw over 20,000 visitors.

Listen to the podcast