Culture changes everything

The Saimaa Phenomenon was Eastern Finland's collective goal to make Savonlinna the European Capital of Culture for 2026.

VAGANZA: Visual identity / Print materials / Digital materials / Website design / Application book design / Newspaper advertising / Video scripting, conceptualization, and direction

PARTNERS: Movage films: video production / Fabrik: video production / Kixit: website implementation and digital marketing / Veera Konsti, Samuli Kuittinen, and Juri Rings: photography

Open book titled 'The Art of Living' with a cover featuring window-like cutouts, revealing the text inside, and a photograph of a person in a misty landscape on the left page.
Text reading 'Culture changes everything' in large white font on a black background.
Wall art with cut-out shapes resembling Wi-Fi signal waves, with a background photograph of the ocean and sky, and the text "The Art of Living" in the bottom right corner.
Open magazine with scenic outdoors background, showing two pages. The left page has text about Eastern Joy, The Primal Force of Music, with green and black icons. The right page features a vibrant night scene with a person in a furry coat and boots, wearing a helmet with a light, walking on a city street with neon lights and pedestrians.
Open magazine lying on the ground among pine needles, displaying a colorful photo of people in white clothing performing a dance or performance on one page and text on the other page.
Open magazine on a tree with a photo of two men in suits sitting at a table with a candle and a fish hanging above them in a glass structure, surrounded by trees.

Underdog’s attitude

From the beginning, Saimaa Phenomenon's Savonlinna was in competition with some of Finland's larger cities, Oulu and Tampere. They had bigger budgets, and the only way to win was to try something different.

Open magazine showing a snowy landscape with an old castle, trees, a bridge, and a pink flamingo float on the water with reflection.
A person meditating in a small boat on water during sunset with floating bowls around them.
A quote in white text on a black background that says, "We are the droplests that set in motion the power to change culture."

Droplets of change

The new design and communication strategy was inspired by the idea of a droplet hitting the water's surface, creating a ripple effect of change. Each droplet represents an artist's work, an event (small or large), a gig, webinar, speech, or any activity that brings the Saimaa Phenomenon closer to win. Together, these droplets are the phenomenon.

Person wearing white winter clothing and black boots falling or slipping on snow during nighttime
Two women with shoulder-length hair standing waist-deep in a dark water pond with lily pads, wearing black long-sleeve clothing, one reaching out to a lily pad.
Black background with white cursive text reading 'The Art of Living'.
Four people standing in front of a gas station with a snow-covered landscape and a large dinosaur sculpture in the background, during nighttime.
Person in winter clothing cutting ice block with chainsaw in cold environment at night.

Raw and (un)real

The visual identity of the Saimaa Phenomenon was raw and edgy. It was encapsulated in a 100-page bid book, where all the visual elements came together. The book featured slightly old-fashioned titles, highly readable paragraphs, and striking images that captured attention. It might not have been the best mix on paper, but it worked. Even though the Saimaa Phenomenon didn't win the European Capital of Culture title, we were proud to create something that truly resonated with us and showed the world something what we call the art of living.

Open Finnish newspaper on wooden table with a cup of coffee and potted cactus plant nearby. The newspaper features articles about climate change, an event titled "HELLO EUROPE!" promoting European culture.
A digital advertisement display on a city street with the text "The Art of Living" and images of people and nature surrounding it. The background shows modern buildings with stores, benches, and people walking.
A large blue container with white and dark blue wavy patterns and the text 'Culture changes everything' in the center.
A glass display case with blue lighting showing chairs, tables, a television, and a large sign with the word 'SAIMAA' on the wall inside, at nighttime outside.

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