Seppälä Concept

Seppälä’s Everyday Supermodels campaign displayed on a laptop screen, showcasing real-life model Mia T. seated stylishly in a car, embodying confidence and authenticity.

A stylish woman in a luxury car, showcasing Seppälä’s fashion collection. Part of the ‘Supermodels of their own life’ campaign, highlighting everyday confidence and style.

Project Summary

This is an old project and the chain is no longer operational, but I want to feature it anyway, since it illustrates the conceptual thinking and my approach to creative problem solving.

Finnish fashion retailer Seppälä was grappling with intensified competition from global players like H&M, Lindex, and Kappahl. These competitors outspent Seppälä significantly on media budgets and enjoyed a growing market presence. Consumer spending on fashion was shrinking, and Seppälä’s stores were often perceived as outdated compared to their rivals’ polished environments.

Faced with these challenges, Seppälä needed a breakthrough. The solution had to amplify the brand’s presence and resonate deeply with its audience—all on a modest budget.

Client

Seppälä Oy

Project Scope

Integrated marketing strategy and concept

Case Study

The Challenge

Seppälä had long relied on traditional advertising with professional models consuming the majority of its production budget. Yet, this approach had two key shortcomings: it left fewer resources for creative execution, and its supermodel aesthetic felt disconnected from Seppälä’s audience, who sought relatable and accessible fashion.

The Approach

We recognized an opportunity to align the brand with its core consumers by celebrating real people and showcasing how anyone could feel confident and stylish in Seppälä clothing.

Creative and Strategic Planning

Our strategy revolved around three pillars:

1. Empower Real People:

We launched an online platform where individuals could apply to become models for Seppälä’s campaigns.
These “Supermodels of their own life” replaced professional models in all advertising materials, including TV spots, in-store visuals, and digital campaigns.
For the international launch, models from each of the four key markets were chosen at the same time for a production that localized the concept to each country with their native models.

2. Engage Audiences with Digital Innovation:

In the absence of mature social media platforms, we created a custom-built website that encouraged user participation.
Visitors could vote for their favorite models, share casting profiles, and follow behind-the-scenes content from the photo shoots.
The site also became a hub for exploring Seppälä’s products, seamlessly linking engagement with commerce.

3. Rethink Budget Allocation for Greater Creativity

By shifting funds away from expensive professional modeling fees, we invested more in the production itself, enabling high-quality executions and more creative outputs.
The reallocation allowed for real-time digital production, ensuring flexibility and quality at every step.
TV commercials showcased real-life transformations, driving viewers to the website for deeper engagement.
In-store displays and materials featured the chosen supermodels, creating a tangible connection between the campaign and the retail experience.

Execution Highlights

The campaign was designed to maximize every resource. For example, digital production allowed us to review footage in real-time, ensuring high-quality results without the risks associated with traditional film.
A bold, participatory approach turned Seppälä’s “homemade” feel into a strength, differentiating it from competitors’ polished but impersonal campaigns.
The campaign wasn’t just a single activation—it became a new way of communicating and interacting with customers, forming the foundation of Seppälä’s brand identity.
Digital engagement became a cornerstone, blending traditional media with interactive experiences.
The focus on real people resonated strongly, turning Seppälä’s customers into brand ambassadors and making the brand more relatable.

“Supermodels of their own life” redefined fashion marketing by replacing professional models with Seppälä’s own customers and fans. This participatory campaign not only connected with the audience on a personal level but also freed up significant budget resources, enabling a wider variety of creative executions.

In addition, the concept was scaled internationally, with campaigns launched simultaneously in Seppälä’s four key markets: Finland, Russia, Lithuania, and Estonia.

The Results

The numbers speak for themselves:

Website visits soared to 2.3 million—more than double the original target.
Unique visitors increased twelvefold, reaching 586,000 in just one year.
Over 5,000 individuals applied to become models, generating over 200,000 style votes on the platform.
Product page visits exceeded expectations, demonstrating a clear link between engagement and sales.

Beyond the metrics, the campaign received widespread media attention, including features in Finland’s largest newspapers. It also solidified Seppälä’s reputation as an innovative and relatable brand.

Key Takeaways

Why It Matters

This concept was not just a campaign, it built a multi-channel framework for Seppälä. It showed that creativity, not budget, can be the most valuable asset in a competitive marketplace. By blending traditional and digital media, embracing customer participation, and turning perceived weaknesses into strengths, we created a campaign that was as impactful as it was memorable.

A Personal Reflection

This project remains one that I’m still proud of. It pushed boundaries by reimagining how traditional media and digital engagement could work together—at a time when such integrations were far from the norm. It also reinforced my belief that the best ideas often come from looking at challenges through a new lens and embracing authenticity in storytelling.