Outokumpu

Repositioning stainless steel

Outokumpu

Contributions

Brand Strategy, Brand Design, Storytelling, Art Direction, Marketing

Awards

European Excellence Awards 2023, shortlist

Industry

Green Tech, Mining & Metals

Making icons that last forever

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Welcome to New York. A city where iconic landmarks shape the dynamic, never-sleeping landscape. Steel runs through every part of it—within and without the soaring architecture, in the kettles that brew morning coffee, and the cutlery we eat with. It stands guard in trash bins and fire hydrants. Every day in New York, steel transports millions of people in cars, on bicycles, and on subway trains—as it does in every other corner of the world.

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From Manhattan to Central Europe, the Nordics, Africa and the Middle East, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific, everyday items and architectural icons must be built to last. Outokumpu makes this possible—with the world as our showroom.

Icons. Evolved. from Manhattan to launch Outokumpu’s The World as Our Showroom storytelling

Repositioning stainless steel through Outokumpu’s most engaging, liked, viewed, and visited campaign ever

In a world seeking sustainable solutions, stainless steel is a material that doesn't just build—it builds forever. The steel industry has historically undervalued brand capital, creating an opportunity for Outokumpu to revolutionize the sector as a challenger in sustainable stainless steel.

From household appliances to automotive and infrastructure, Outokumpu is a trusted partner for industry pioneers, helping them build modern icons that impact our world every day. While stainless steel's durability and corrosion resistance are well-known, its diverse applications are a surprise to many outside the industry.

Outokumpu knew they it a great product but faced hurdles in getting the word out—how to elevate stainless steel from a material to a symbol of societal progress? How to transform a steel giant into an industry pioneer? We responded by creating The Evolved Brand Platform, turning the world into our showroom, and demonstrating how icons built with Outokumpu's Industrial Evolution philosophy shape a world that lasts forever.

Campaign run in Finnair in-flight.

A campaign featured on Finnair in-flight channels, complemented by an in-depth documentary showcasing Outokumpu’s sustainability initiatives, along with digital out-of-home displays at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.

Digital out-of-home in Helsinki-Vantaa airport .

Bringing the icons of New York—made to last forever—to a global target audience

From the heart of Manhattan to the world. Our multimedia campaign unfolded across Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, through Finnair flights, European business media, and across strategic digital platforms like LinkedIn, Meta, Reddit, and X.  

Our advertising applications celebrated global architectural icons that utilize Outokumpu’s stainless steel and explored their hidden stories on the digital platform. For example, the Oculus Transportation Hub's magnificent white wings weren't just poetic architectural—they were precisely-engineered Outokumpu stainless steel, created to mark time as a sundial in remembrance of 9/11. Similarly, One World Trade Center is not only the Western Hemisphere's safest building—it’s an architectural masterpiece that transforms geometry and light into an ever-changing display of beauty and strength. And they do so with Outkumpu steel.

Addressing tomorrow’s fearless designers and leaders through social media

Across social media platforms—LinkedIn, Meta, and Reddit—we shared anecdotes, facts and highlights about the architectural icons featured in “The World as our Showroom,” aimed at the fearless leaders of tomorrow.

Beatrice Galilee, Curator on Architecture and Design, Founder and Executive Director of The World Around, vocalised the necessity on building icons from enduring and aesthetics materials like stainless steel.

In the film, we spoke with Beatrice Galilee—a New York-based curator, founder, and executive director of The World Around—to hear her views on the perpetual evolution of New York City. Having moved to New York from London, Beatrice spoke of New York's status as one of the world's most iconic cities, noting that innovations and trends originating in New York often ripple outward, influencing urban development and culture in cities around the globe.

Case studies transformed into editorial articles of Icons.Evolved.

Brand ambassadorship as a building block for a holistic, evolving brand

The digital experience serves as a permanent platform and owned media channel, itself built to last. It supports Outokumpu's holistic brand strategy, building from employee branding to thought leadership and driving engagement from sales to investor communication. An average dwell time of 2:30 on articles and even 4:04 on the interactive map of worldwide icons expresses the high level of engagement with the digital showroom experience.  

The big ambition is to transform Outokumpu’s hundreds of case studies into inspiring editorial articles, which aim to help employees vocalize their societal role as key brand ambassadors.

“With Bond as our brand’s strategic and creative partner, our transformation has become focused, aspirational, and effective. Our continuous and ambitious partnership delivers value as we work fearlessly toward common goals on Outokumpu’s Industrial Evolution journey.”

Heidi Haila

Head of Brand, Outokumpu