The Challenge to Chill: SEK Invites the World to Do Summer like a Finn

Visit Finland, in collaboration with SEK, has launched its social-first campaign, Chill Like a Finn, with the aim of encouraging the world to compete for a seven day trip to the country’s picturesque Lakeland region. It would be easy enough to sell a holiday to Finland with a typical spot featuring shots of its lush forests and relaxing saunas, but instead the audience was invited to create the advert across social media platforms. To enter, participants needed to create a short video on social media answering the question, “What do you think summer at Finnish Lakeland looks like?” Entries had to be submitted in pairs, reflecting the social and shared nature of the Lakeland experience, using the hashtag #ChillLikeAFinn.

“Visit Finland operates very much with a challenger mindset,” said Enoma Edevbaro, head of social media and influencer marketing at SEK,. “When you can’t compete with the biggest destinations on media budgets alone, you have to focus on creativity and finding ways to stand out from typical travel clichés and one-way advertising.

“That’s been a consistent strategy for us, across campaigns like ‘Rent a Finn’, ‘Masterclass of Happiness’, and ‘Helsinki Happiness Hacks’. The social-first approach has allowed us to invite people in, make them part of the story, and create something more participatory rather than just something to watch.”

Is framing stillness and relaxation as a competition not slightly contradictory? “We liked the slightly unexpected tension in that idea,” Enoma explained. “I mean, has anyone ever challenged you to just chill? It sounds easy, but in today’s world, it can actually be surprisingly difficult.

“With constant digital noise and a culture of always being ‘on’, slowing down and embracing stillness almost becomes something you have to actively practice, even compete for. So, framing it this way felt both playful and very relevant.”

This year, Finland was revealed to be the happiest country in the world for the ninth consecutive year, according to the World Happiness Report. Factors including a high life expectancy, a high level of trust in institutions and a great public healthcare system helped to keep it at the top of the list. Another key contributor to the nation’s happiness score is its strong connection to nature, with a summer break in Finland’s Lakeland helping to carry the population through a winter with only six hours of light per day and temperatures consistently below freezing.

“Honestly, yes, there’s definitely truth to that,” Enoma elaborated. “Finns really do ‘come alive’ in the spring and summer after the long, dark winter months. When the days get longer and the light returns (and barely disappears in summer), people naturally spend as much time as possible outdoors.

“Time in nature, in the forests, by the lakes, at the cottage, acts as a real reset. It’s like a full recharge that helps shake off the heaviness of winter and gives you energy to carry into the darker months again.”

The competition closed on March 29th, but while the entries are being sifted through, there are some qualities that can make them stand out. “We’re not looking for perfection. It’s really about energy and imagination,” Enoma told LBB. “The entries that stand out are the ones where participants have clearly put thought into their idea of a Finnish summer in Lakeland and shared it in a genuine, creative way. Personality, originality, and a sense of fun go a long way.”

It might be too late to win a trip to Lakeland this year, but there is always this possibility that the campaign could be extended for other seasons. As Enoma said, “Finland has incredibly strong seasonal appeal, for example, the magic of winter in Lapland is already very well known globally.

“At the same time, one of the biggest opportunities for us is highlighting Finland as a year-round destination,” she concluded. “There’s still so much untapped potential in how different seasons can be experienced in unique ways, so absolutely, this kind of concept could evolve to showcase other times of year as well.”