High Five: Finland

Myrsky (aka Storm) is a digitally-created virtual character that reflects the state of mind of young people. What makes it especially interesting is that the character lives and breathes data collected from young people on a weekly basis. Mental health is a widely discussed topic, but this execution stands out merely because it actually reflects its target group without resorting to 'boomersplaining'.

There are many societal issues that are often campaigned for, but homelessness is often overlooked, making it probably one of the unsexiest charity subjects. It can be hard for people to grasp the magnitude of the issue, especially in a cold country such as Finland where the issue is not always visible on the streets. The reason I decided to give a shoutout to this campaign is that the people behind it were able to shed light on an unspoken issue in a way that could not be overlooked.

'Stiff', 'corporate' and 'conservative' are adjectives that describe the social media presence of many politicians. Maybe that is why Sanna Marin, the prime minister of Finland - or moreover her social media presence - has delighted many. It’s surprising to see a young female politician share her life on social media in a way that breaks all the norms of political communications. She is not only the youngest female prime minister in Europe and a hardcore politician, but also a person who lives her life outside the politics and is not afraid to share it on social media. She has, for example, shared a story of herself breastfeeding, and only a few weeks ago she shared a story of herself with no makeup to remind people to be merciful to themselves.

Malmin Kebab is a great example on how anyone can make their business famous on TikTok by creating a viral phenomenon around themselves. Khaled Azizi, the entrepreneur of this small kebab restaurant, has built a concept which focuses on clients requesting a special portion that 'puts them into shock'. What might have begun as a joke has since become a viral trend, and the business is now a destination to which people travel to for hours...just to be put into shock. So far, Malmin Kebab has had 80 million views on TikTok.

In Finland, there is a saying that goes 'Nothing else is a must except paying taxes and dying'. This perfectly describes how Finns see the Finnish Tax Administration and the work they do...or at least did. Their social media presence is something that has raised interest, not only inside the marketing and advertising bubble, but more importantly amongst Finnish tax payers, giving the public office a much-needed touch of humanity. Their 'meme-like' approach has made dry and stiff topics - such as back taxes - interesting for people who normally just pay their taxes because it’s a must.