A city's voice is

The voice of its people.

I led the development of Helsinki's verbal identity. This was a core part of a rebrand aimed at helping raise the city's profile with international tourists, talent, and businesses.

We based it on the voices of the city's inhabitants, making it our mission to distill local people's outlook, self-image, and unique ways of expressing themselves. This makes for an engaging voice that stands out against other cities, and means locals can recognise themselves in the way their city speaks on the world stage.

The identity is direct and open, highlighting Helsinki's distinct value – unlike it's Scandinavian neighbours, Helsinki is 'real, not perfect'. It's confident, conversational and warm. (Figuratively warm. Literally... freezing.)