Helsingin Sanomat - Land of free press

When US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Finland, Helsingin Sanomat had the opportunity to remind them of the importance of independent journalism as a necessary pillar of a democratic civil society.

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The Welcome to the Land of Free Press campaign was carried out in collaboration with TBWA\Helsinki and outdoor advertising companies Bauer Media Outdoor and JCDecaux, who joined forces to create a chronological story line through the presidents' arrival route. In total, the takeover included nearly 300 surfaces along the presidents’ driving route and meeting point, making the campaign an outdoor advertising piece that is impossible to ignore.

According to Kaius Niemi, editor-in-chief of Helsingin Sanomat, this is an act of freedom of the press.

"This is a statement in favour of critical and quality journalism. While welcoming the summit to Finland, we remind the presidents of the importance of a free press. The media are not meant to be servants of presidents or governments," says Niemi.

"We want to show our support for our colleagues who are struggling every day under increasingly difficult conditions in both Russia and the United States. Our aim is to raise the profile of press freedom around the world."

According to TBWA\Helsinki Chief Creative Officer Jyrki Poutanen, the implementation represents a bold way of living the brand vision.

"Helsingin Sanomat's main prerequisites are an independent media and freedom of the press. The newspaper fights against fake news and biased information every day with facts and solid sources. The meeting between the presidents of two great powers gave us an excellent opportunity to carry out visible branding work around this theme."

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Source: Helsingin Sanomat

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