Huge interest in tendering to brand the Nordic Region

A total of 34 companies and consortia submitted applications by the deadline at 12:00 on 7 October 2016. The assessment process has whittled the number down to five, and they have now been invited to tender for the project. The five are:

• Brooklyn Brothers & Íslenska
• Mensch, AREA9, Ole Lund and BIG Architects
• Perfect Fools/hasan & partners
• Prime Public Relations
• We Are North (Lead Agency, e-Types, MediaCom, Co Comms, 1508, Gullers Grupp and PR-operatørene)

 

Successful tendering strategy

The breadth of the appeal of the project in all five Nordic countries was reflected in the large number of applications, although the total of 34 also included companies in the USA, Germany and the UK. Many of the applications were from teams composed of companies of various sizes and several of them involved creatives from more than one country. A total of almost 100 creative companies from the Nordic Region was involved. 

We are, of course, pleased to see that so many creatives have come together in new cross-border constellations. Not everybody could make it onto the shortlist, but we hope that the new Nordic alliances that have emerged during the process will continue into the future.

The Nordic Council of Ministers’ Brand Manager, Tobias Grut, was impressed by the range of applicants.

“We are delighted that so many eminently well-qualified companies from the whole of the Nordic Region submitted applications. It goes to show that we scoped out a fascinating project and that the tender was drawn up in a way that appealed to a wide range of different types of agencies. And we are, of course, pleased to see that so many creatives have come together in new cross-border constellations. Not everybody could make it onto the shortlist, but we hope that the new Nordic alliances that have emerged during the process will continue into the future. We are now in the fortunate position that we have five ambitious tenderers, each capable of coming up with exciting and innovative proposals for a unifying brand for the Nordic Region.”

Understanding Nordic values

Coming up with a brand for the Nordic Region will require a range of many different skills in design, brand activation and communications.

The various teams’ experience and individual competencies were important parameters during the selection process and each of the five creatively strong teams is capable, in its own way, of putting the Nordic Region and Nordic positions of strength on the international agenda.

Importance was also attached to their understanding of Nordic values ​​and to their Nordic and international experience, as witnessed by the case studies they presented, including their understanding of political processes.

 

The winner of the tender will be announced on 5 December 2016.

About Nordic Brand Alliance (NBA)

The tender “Branding of the Nordics” is a collaboration with Design denmark (Dd), the initiator of the Nordic Brand Alliance, a multi-party collaboration involving design, communication, and advertising organisations throughout the Region.

About Nordic co-operation

Nordic co-operation is one of the world’s most extensive forms of regional collaboration, involving Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland.

Nordic co-operation promotes regional interests and values in a global world. The values shared by the Nordic countries help make the Region one of the most innovative and competitive regions in the world. Read more on www.norden.org