Finlandia.com
Every global brand faces a unique challenge in digital.
Its main website has to translate its message and offerings to a global audience, but the design and user experience cannot sacrifice SEO or viewability on older browsers or devices.
In 2013, Finlandia Vodka debuted a global campaign that inspires consumers to toast the less ordinary aspects of life – and they wanted their global site to reflect that.
So, our challenge was to create a fully responsive digital experience accessible across all devices, browsers, and global audiences – without sacrificing the visually immersive story we wanted to tell.
1
DESIGNING A SITE LESS ORDINARY
The goal was to immerse the consumer in the Finlandia brand, taste, texture and lifestyle.
We would tell the overarching campaign story, while housing the nitty-gritty – the flavors, drink recipes, and information about Finlandia’s taste master and global mixologist.
The new campaign brought with it a distinct voice, a poetic interpretation of “the less ordinary aspects of life.” It was a world where nature came alive and anything can happen.
We were fortunate to have a photographer on the ground inFinland that could shoot custom imagery for the site. For example, big, bold shots of Finlandia’s Global Mixologist Pekka Pellinen demonstrating how to create unique cocktails became the main focus for the “Drinks” section.
We also were provided with beautiful photography from the global brand campaign by Wieden+Kennedy London.
2
SIMPLICITY AT A GLOBAL SCALE
All too often, big, cinematic sites are typically one-off campaign microsites – not platforms for international content.
In Finlandia’s case, we wanted to deliver that immersive, poetic, emotional feel, and have it work to tell the brand story on a global level.
We landed on a simple, clean, dynamic scrolling experience that breaks down all traditional notions of a global beverage brand site.
For example, a singular access point icon has replaced the fixed navigation, the Finlandia logo surfaces only when necessary, and product-specific sections like Drinks are more about cocktail inspiration than a generic recipe archive.
Other subtle details were layered in to surprise and delight visitors. For example, when you move your cursor on the landing page, the snowflakes follow your every move.
3
BENEATH THE ICE AND SNOW
Our collaboration with Finlandia was a true partnership in every way.
The success of this project – from both a creative and technical standpoint – was a direct result of the trust and collaboration established between both teams right from the start.
As they say in Finland, kippis!
