THE CLIMATE CRISIS FONT

Gold Eurobest Award

Demo Film

Presentation Image

TitleTHE CLIMATE CRISIS FONT
BrandHELSINGIN SANOMAT
Product/ServiceHELSINGIN SANOMAT
Category A01. Brand & Communications Design
Entrant TBWA\HELSINKI, FINLAND
Idea Creation TBWA\HELSINKI, FINLAND
Idea Creation 2 HELSINGIN SANOMAT Helsinki, FINLAND
Idea Creation 3 EINO KORKALA Helsinki, FINLAND
Media Placement HELSINGIN SANOMAT Helsinki, FINLAND
PR TBWA\HELSINKI, FINLAND
PR 2 HELSINGIN SANOMAT Helsinki, FINLAND
Production TBWA\HELSINKI, FINLAND
Production 2 EINO KORKALA Helsinki, FINLAND
Credits
Name Company Position
Kaius Niemi Helsingin Sanomat Senior Editor-in-Chief
Niina Käkelä Helsingin Sanomat Brand & Content Marketing Manager
Tuomas Jääskeläinen Helsingin Sanomat Art Director
Heidi Björklöf-Mattila Helsingin Sanomat VP, Portfolio development and Marketing
Ville Vihermaa Helsingin Sanomat Producer
Jyrki Poutanen TBWA\Helsinki Chief Creative Officer
Erno Reinikainen TBWA\Helsinki Executive Creative Director
Matti Virtanen TBWA\Helsinki Art Director
Aki Toivonen TBWA\Helsinki Creative Strategist
Noora Murremäki TBWA\Helsinki Executive Account Director
Martta Kallio TBWA\Helsinki Copywriter
Rosa Kojonkoski TBWA\Helsinki Project Manager
Mikko Pietilä TBWA\Helsinki Executive Creative Director
Nelli Immonen TBWA\Helsinki Junior Art Director
Juhani Ylitalo TBWA\Helsinki Copywriter
Daniel Coull Daniel Coull Type Designer
Eino Korkala Eino Korkala Type Designer
Sami Kelahaara TBWA\Helsinki Art Director
Otto Kilpiö TBWA\Helsinki Copywriter
Juhana Hokkanen TBWA\Helsinki Innovation Director
Joonas Vähäkallio TBWA\Helsinki Junior Art Director
Umberto Onza TBWA\Helsinki Lead Innovation Designer
Saana Simander TBWA\Helsinki Content Strategist
Pekko Pistokoski TBWA\Helsinki Copywriter
Juha-Matti Raunio TBWA\Helsinki Vice President, Innovations
Milla Leisti TBWA\Helsinki Account Director
Markus Nieminen TBWA\Helsinki Content Director
Viggo Höllander TBWA\Helsinki Digital Designer
Aleksi Pitkänen TBWA\Helsinki Developer
Tommi Selander TBWA\Helsinki Graphic Designer
Juho Ojala TBWA\Helsinki Planner
Jesse Korhonen TBWA\Helsinki Planner
Pekka Raittila TBWA\Helsinki Developer
Jenni Karsten TBWA\Helsinki Project Manager
Erika Rajaharju TBWA\Helsinki PR & Insights Trainee
Tuukka Laitinen Skål Helsinki Motion Graphic Designer

Cultural / Context information for the jury

The primary mission of newspaper Helsingin Sanomat is to help its readers understand the world better. Climate change and its impact is strongly present in the paper’s reporting but since the discussion surrounding the phenomenon has been going on for decades, it is easy for readers to become desensitized to the situation. The coronavirus pandemic has proven that when faced with an imminent threat, humanity can take swift action. However, a slowly-progressing complex entity like climate change is too hard to grasp to trigger the same effect in scale. There is a need to find new and pattern-breaking ways of communicating about climate change and its implications.

Tell the jury about the typography.

The font’s design relies strongly on data and what it represents. The design is based on the metaphor of disappearing ice sheets with each character melting away as the weight changes from heavy to light. The data was implemented into the design by assigning the 1979 NSIDC data point as the base level for the heaviest weight. The following data points would then determine the specific design in relation to the base level. For instance, the 1990 weight melts away as much as the Arctic Sea ice extent had diminished from 1979 to 1990. Thus, the lightest weight, 2050, represents a mere 30 % area of the base value, as predicted by the IPCC report. The OpenType variable font technology allowed the design to follow this data seamlessly from heavy to light. Helsingin Sanomat has used the font in its climate-related reporting and it is available for anyone to use.