Helsinki Invites Pamela Anderson to Reclaim “Hyytiäinen”

Helsinki just launched one of the smartest examples of modern place branding: a public, highly personal invitation to Pamela Anderson to visit Finland’s capital and—if she chooses—reclaim her Finnish family name, Hyytiäinen.

The campaign was triggered by Anderson’s comments in Vogue Scandinavia, where she spoke about simplifying her life, embracing a more natural image, and reconnecting with her Finnish roots. She even shared that she would like to be called Pamela Hyytiäinen, but implied she wouldn’t be able to make the change. Instead of letting that moment fade as a celebrity headline, Helsinki responded like a city with a brand strategy: warm, direct, and surprisingly practical.

A city message designed for one person

This isn’t a typical tourism ad. Helsinki isn’t promoting a landmark or a seasonal event—it’s promoting a feeling: everyday wellbeing, nature, and a calmer rhythm of life. The city’s angle is simple: if someone publicly expresses a desire to reconnect with their heritage, a “functional” city should do what functional cities do—help.

So Helsinki made the point very clear: adopting the surname Hyytiäinen is possible under Finnish law, and guidance on how the process works is publicly available. That practical tone is what makes the idea feel genuine. It reads less like marketing and more like a real invitation.

Why OOH made the idea impossible to ignore

To deliver the message, Helsinki produced a short film titled “Operation: Make Pamela a Hyytiäinen”, starring Finnish actor Janne Hyytiäinen, currently the most famous Hyytiäinen in the world and known internationally for roles in films by Aki Kaurismäki. In the film, he addresses Anderson directly and outlines potential legal paths to adopting the surname—such as marriage, adoption, or citizenship.

But the real media move was distribution. Helsinki didn’t just place ads in Helsinki. The city took the outreach across the Atlantic to Vancouver Island, where Anderson lives, installing roadside billboards along routes in and out of her home area. Add targeted social ads meant to reach her specifically—and even a landing page that asks visitors to confirm they’re truly Pamela Anderson—and you get something rare: an OOH campaign built for precision, not mass reach.

The takeaway for brands

This is a strong reminder that OOH doesn’t always need to be louder—it needs to be smarter. When the creative idea is culturally relevant and the placement is hyper-intentional, outdoor becomes more than media: it becomes a story people want to share. Helsinki’s play is simple but powerful—target one person so well that the world ends up watching.