Wilderness Calling
Jaa
“Welcome to the airports in Lapland, the fastest gateway to the beauty of the northern wilderness. Let yourself be transported into the serene atmosphere of Finnish Lapland. Now, select your destination by pressing the corresponding number.”
Background
Finavia, a Finnish airport company with the brand promise "For Smooth Travelling," has become one of the leading airport companies in Europe. To achieve this, Finavia had focused on delivering the best customer experience by meeting people's personal preferences and understanding both universal and individual needs.
Finavia plays a crucial role in improving Finnish Lapland's accessibility and strengthening its competitive advantage. The region is served by four main airports — Ivalo, Kittilä, Rovaniemi, and Kuusamo — all managed by Finavia. Working together with regional partners, Finavia emphasized the joint goal of increasing passenger numbers, particularly during the underdeveloped summer season, and fostering the development of year-round tourism. Lapland Airports serve as the gateway to this unique destination.
Finavia plays a crucial role in improving Finnish Lapland's accessibility and strengthening its competitive advantage. The region is served by four main airports — Ivalo, Kittilä, Rovaniemi, and Kuusamo — all managed by Finavia. Working together with regional partners, Finavia emphasized the joint goal of increasing passenger numbers, particularly during the underdeveloped summer season, and fostering the development of year-round tourism. Lapland Airports serve as the gateway to this unique destination.
Challenge
The untapped potential of Lapland’s seasons
Finavia aimed to build on the success of the winter season by creating a year-round growth story. After a record-breaking winter, with 50% of international overnight stays in Finland occurring in Lapland, the focus shifted to growing demand during the underdeveloped summer season. Expanding year-round demand is a shared goal for both Finavia and the regions.
With existing demand and direct winter flights to Lapland, Germany, and particularly the city of Düsseldorf, was chosen as the key target market. But how could Finavia showcase its airports as the fastest way to experience all of Lapland's unique seasons?
With existing demand and direct winter flights to Lapland, Germany, and particularly the city of Düsseldorf, was chosen as the key target market. But how could Finavia showcase its airports as the fastest way to experience all of Lapland's unique seasons?
Idea
In our busy world, finding moments of calm can often feel like too much work. But what if enjoying the serene beauty of Lapland were just one touch away?
An idea that transformed outdoor spaces on the streets of Düsselfdorf into a tangible route to Finnish Lapland through a mobile connection. The creative strategy relied solely on PR for its launch and quickly became a local phenomenon.
A mobile hotline – Your fastest gateway to the wilderness
An idea that transformed outdoor spaces on the streets of Düsselfdorf into a tangible route to Finnish Lapland through a mobile connection. The creative strategy relied solely on PR for its launch and quickly became a local phenomenon.
Execution
From call to calm: delivering Finavia's brand promise through an innovative mobile experience
We began by carefully designing the experience to ensure that from the first encounter, users would get the Finavia's Lapland brand experience of Smooth Travelling.
Here's how it worked:
As you dialed the number, the familiar buzz of the airport welcomed you, marking the beginning of your journey. A friendly voice then shared four destination options, each offering a unique experience. You could easily connect to any one of them, each with its own distinct soundscape.
After choosing your preferred area, you could also select from four different seasons. Whether it was the gentle whispers of winds through ancient forests, the soft lapping of waves on peaceful lake shores, the cheerful chirping of birds in the valleys, or the comforting crackle of a fire under a starlit sky, these sounds captured the essence of Lapland's nature just for you.
Here's how it worked:
As you dialed the number, the familiar buzz of the airport welcomed you, marking the beginning of your journey. A friendly voice then shared four destination options, each offering a unique experience. You could easily connect to any one of them, each with its own distinct soundscape.
After choosing your preferred area, you could also select from four different seasons. Whether it was the gentle whispers of winds through ancient forests, the soft lapping of waves on peaceful lake shores, the cheerful chirping of birds in the valleys, or the comforting crackle of a fire under a starlit sky, these sounds captured the essence of Lapland's nature just for you.
Ivalo Airport, where our northernmost gate lies. Home to bright coloured Aurora Borealis and fells singing ancient tales.
Summer, season of nightless nights and the soft symphony of lapping lake waters.
Autumn, when fells and forests ring out in colors of the setting sun.
Winter, when Northern lights dance in the night sky and fresh snow crunches.
Spring, when sunbeams awaken the soil and a song of new beginnings fills the air.
Impact
The idea had a significant impact on multiple levels
Campaign Reach:
- The outdoor execution achieved a reach of 3.72 million views, equivalent to 5.9 times the population of Düsseldorf.
- 1.13 million Instagram users were reached.
- All in all, the campaign reached over 5 million people with a budget of under €80k.
Earned Media:
- 13 media hits from around the world, with a total reach of over 180,000 readers.*
- 7 media hits in German travel and marketing media.
Generated Digital Demand & Action:
- Search spikes for “Finnland” and “Lappland” observed in Germany and the Düsseldorf area after the campaign launch.**
- 26,000 unique visits from Germany to the campaign website.
- 1,033 calls from Germany to experience the Lappish wilderness.
Actual Impact on Travel and Business:***
- The number of travelers from Germany to Finnish Lapland grew by 4.2% in July and 5.2% in August year-over-year.
- Overnight stays by German travelers in the Lapland region grew by 3.5% in August and surged by 22.6% in September year-over-year.
- After the summer campaign, the anticipated peak in travel materialized: a remarkable 25% increase in travelers was seen in September compared to the previous year, meaning approximately €1,2 million in extra spend to the travel industry in Finnish Lapland (based on the average spend per trip per German traveler to Lapland in 2024).
- In the end, a German airline launched a new year-round direct route from Germany to Finnish Lapland, adding 26 direct flights and 4,680 new potential passengers for the next summer seasons to come (June-August).
- This results in an estimated €6,1 million in new potential spend to the travel industry in Finnish Lapland (based on the average spend per trip per German traveler to Lapland in 2024).
- With a campaign budget of under €80k this would result in a potential ROI of 7848%.
*Source: Cision
**Source: Google Trends
***Sources: Visit Finland’s statistical services Ruudolf & MatkailijaMittari
