Snow Media – Transforming Snow into a Medium for Change
In an innovative move to combat climate change, Protect Our Winters Finland (POW) has launched a new initiative called Snow Media, designed to turn snow-covered landscapes into advertising spaces. By selling snowy lakes, fields, and rooftops as media space, this environmental NGO aims to raise funds dedicated to preserving winters. The proceeds from this venture will support POW’s ongoing efforts to fight climate change and protect winter environments.
Kalle Wallin, Creative Director of the agency NORD DDB Helsinki, explains the concept: “We commercialize winter to save it from the climate crisis. We wanted to deliver a strong and touching message of defending winters in a clever way. We’re creating a media which is owned by winter – so of course the profits go to protecting winters.”
The initiative has garnered support from Finnish DOOH marketing company Mediateko, with CEO Sampsa Savolainen expressing excitement about the project. “The goal of advertising is to influence the target group’s thinking and behavior in a positive way for the advertiser. This insightful innovation offers excellent opportunities for this. Mediateko enables solutions for advertisers in Finnish ski resorts and is passionately involved in POW Finland’s activities to ensure the vitality of Finnish winters in the future,” he stated.
Snow Media advertisements will be strategically placed near tall buildings, popular winter trails, and ski centers, where they can be viewed from above. These artistic and impressive snow advertisements will be documented and shared across social media, digital advertising platforms, and DOOH. The campaign began this spring, with the objective of engaging more brands and consumers during the winter of 2024–2025, contingent on snowfall and winter conditions already impacted by climate change.
Wallin emphasized the importance of giving POW and its messages prominence, noting that the first client for this project is Protect Our Winters itself. The first commercial participant is Lindström, a Finnish company that aligns its business model with the circular economy and values responsibility.
“Responsibility is one of our core values, our business model is based on the circular economy. As a Finnish company, we want to draw attention to climate change and its effects on winters. We joined because we wanted to fearlessly try something new and because preserving nature’s biodiversity is crucial to us,” said Minna Heinonen, Head of Marketing from Lindström.
Noora Vihervaara, General Manager of POW Finland, expressed enthusiasm about the project’s progress. “We are thrilled to finally see this project in the daylight and to see the first commercial company to join and donate through this project. In the heart of Lindström operations there is caring, not only for people, but for working clothes as well, and longevity of the clothing and material should be the course in our society.”
Snow Media is available to brands committed to a better future and genuine climate action. Vihervaara stresses the importance of authenticity in this unique marketing space: “We are expecting this form of unique marketing to be used for good in general. Meaning this is not the space for greenwashing nor fossil fuel-based businesses and brands that should not be advertised anywhere anymore.”
This innovative approach highlights the potential of combining environmental advocacy with creative advertising, offering a unique way to raise awareness and funds to protect winters.
