Hi deers!
Meet Vesku the Reindeer –
world’s first reindeer influencer.

Challenge

Finnish Lapland is a well-known winter destination. However, not many travelers know how much fun Lapland has to offer in summer and there is a lot of vacancy during summer months. How to get Finnish Lapland known to them?

Brief

Our goal was to position Finnish Lapland as a desired summer destination amidst the fully-booked winter season in the target countries: Germany, Netherlands and UK. We were assigned to plan an awareness campaign for 2024 promoting the summer in Finnish Lapland, leaning on Visit Finland’s previous campaign Trust The Wilderness.

Insight

People love to follow animals in social media - especially Germans love reindeers! Who would be more genuine and relatable spokesperson for a brand campaign than a local resident? We also realised that we had a lot to tell, and a conventional ad campaign wouldn’t be enough. We needed a fresh approach.

Idea

The world’s first reindeer influencer! Meet Vesku, an extraordinary reindeer buck! He would be the perfect spokesperson… reindeer to raise the awareness of Finnish Lapland among the potential travellers’ target group who hadn’t heard of the northern summer before.

Have you ever
casted a reindeer?
We have.

Vesku is a living and breathing reindeer who was casted to our campaign among many applicant animals. He was born in Finnish Lapland on a cold, crisp day, as the Arctic Circle’s winter was melting into spring in 2021.

Two things made him different: his recognizable face markings – as light as the Lappish summer sky – and becoming an orphan just after he was born.

Luckily humans found him and helped to raise him at Kujala Reindeer Farm. Vesku formed a special bond with us two-leggers and this helped co-operating with him during filming.

Vesku’s background fit to the campaign frame perfectly because the story was true. Embracing and highlighting his differences and uniqueness laid a solid foundation for the campaign: Vesku was (and still is) a lucky buck, who took humans as his friends and wanted to share and teach them what he knew about the wilderness – the mindfulness and the joy of nature.

Social Media Strategy

We analyzed the potential target group's social media behavior, identifying key interests and activity patterns. Based on this analysis, the optimal posting frequency was determined to be 2-3 times per week, aligned with the weeks when the audience was most active.

Target Audience Analysis

Posts were scheduled for times when the target audience was most active, ensuring higher visibility and engagement. Based on the analysis, we posted in the mornings on certain weekdays and in the afternoons on others. Throughout the campaign, we monitored audience activity and adjusted posting times accordingly.

Timing Optimization

Traveling has changed. Agency-made tourism is declining, while DIY tourism is on the rise. People now look for tips and information on social media and from local sources. Animal accounts are also highly popular—especially in Germany, our target country, where reindeer are a particular favorite. That’s why we wanted a spokesperson for Lapland who could showcase the best and most authentic sides of Finnish Lapland through his eyes. Vesku is a true brand ambassador.

Insights

Content highlighted what specifically resonated with the audience about reindeer, Finnish travel experiences, and Finnish culture.

Content Relevance

We continuously tracked trending topics in the target markets and created content aligned with these, utilizing timely and relevant hashtags to boost visibility.

Trend Monitoring

Posts were crafted in English for broader reach, while paid advertising and supporting activities, such as PR efforts, were executed in the local language for greater impact.

Multilingual Approach

Creative
executions

Instagram was chosen as the primary channel. Vesku’s account was launched in late Dec 2023, and the young reindeer buck told his story three times a week over six months. Additional information and content about Vesku and Finnish Lapland was found on the campaign website.

The Instagram account featured influencer-style content with three main streams - organic, paid and competitions - providing a unique and authentic perspective on Finnish Lapland’s summer in Vesku’s quirky way.

Main format: Reels

From lively My day videos and fur care tips to language lessons and more, Vesku showcased the magic of Lapland's summer.

Followers
adored

Vesku…

…and also really
wanted to win a trip to Finnish Lapland.

3K comments

268K likes

2.5K saves

Vesku hosted six contests offering trips to partner destinations across the region.

Vesku started from a scratch.

The results exceeded
all forecasts.

42,9

M

IMPRESSIONS

(+61% from expected)

10,9

%

IG ENGAGEMENT RATE

Tourism category average Instagram
engagement rate: 3.5% (Source: Statista)

For benchmark, the Instagram engagement rate of our main competitors during the campaign was 5.48% (@visitnorway) and 6.58% (@visitsweden). (Source: Brand Watch)