New campaign: spot, capture and share Traces of North

21.03.19 | News
The Nordics campaign on social media
Photographer
Unsplash
On Nordic Day, the 23rd of March, the Nordic Council of Ministers’ international branding project "The Nordics" is launching a social media campaign inviting people from around the world to share Nordic stories using the hashtag #TracesofNorth. Let’s trace the world together!

The campaign is designed to be a genuine conversation starter, a digital showcase, and a competition all rolled into one. Everyone with a Nordic mindset is welcome to join in, along with Nordic embassies all over the world, create stories and kick-start a movement on Instagram and Twitter. The name of the game is to spot, capture and share Traces of North in every part of the world – and inspire the rest of the world to join in!

“For us, this campaign in particular, as well as other initiatives from the branding project in general, are important drivers for starting new Nordic collaborations and conversations abroad. They add value to the countries’ own branding strategies, and help us strengthen the shared Nordic story,” says Gabriella Augustsson, Deputy Director, and Head of Nation Branding and Cultural Promotion at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Sweden.

For us, this campaign in particular, as well as other initiatives from the branding project in general, are important drivers for starting new Nordic collaborations and conversations abroad. 

Gabriella Augustsson

There are Traces of North everywhere

Traces of North builds on the idea of curating Nordic narratives around the world, with the traces reflecting a mix of common values like trust, openness and equality. They can be universal concepts given a unique Nordic twist physically in, for example, architecture, art and technology, and emotionally as expressions of culture, policies and ideas. A trace can be anything that has made its way from the Nordics into the world, and it is not about showing the Nordics to the world; it is all about showing the Nordics in the world.

Joining forces

Each of the Nordic countries may well wave its own flag, but they share a set of values and traditions – qualities that unite, but also values that can be seen all over the world. Tobias Grut, Brand Manager at The Nordics, has high expectations for the campaign:

“We are ready to back up the campaign and create a fantastic buzz about the Nordics – and we are super excited to see lots of new, interesting and funny stories. By joining forces, we will make the world aware of the Traces of North.”

This is the second time the branding project The Nordics is joining forces with Nordic embassies outside the Nordic Region. The #TracesofNorth campaign, which will run far beyond Nordic Day until the end of summer, follows up on last year’s success when the brand tool kit was launched.

We are ready to back up the campaign and create a buzz about the Nordics – and we are super excited to see lots of new, interesting and funny stories. By joining forces, we will make the world aware of the Traces of North!

Tobias Grut, Brand Manager The Nordics

What’s your Trace of North?

All you need to do now is to find your own Traces of North, capture the story or image, and share it on Instagram or Twitter using hashtag #TracesofNorth. Actually, we recommend that everyone starts following The Nordics on social media, and gets inspired by the various traces that have already been posted.

Let’s get going!

About The Nordics

The Nordics is a branding project for Aaland, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden commissioned by the Ministers for Nordic Co-operation. The branding strategy is designed to enhance the visibility, influence and competitiveness of the Nordic Region in the world.