Finland is a heavy rock nation. It has more metal bands per capita than any other country. But as much as Finns love metal, they hated VR (National Railways). The brand had become somewhat of a joke, with trains running late, ticket machines not working but the company’s directors nevertheless receiving huge bonuses. Press and social media was constantly filled with articles and comments how “VR blew it again”. The brand was in desperate need of positive publicity.

When VR (Finnish National Railways) learned, that KISS was arriving to Helsinki, it reacted by letting Finnish KISS fans paint masks on the four Men of Rock statues at Helsinki Main Railway Station. The statues wore the masks for a week before the concert and a few days after it.

First VR invited Finnish KISS fans to enter a competition. The main prize was the permit to paint the four 3D printed masks.

After going through thousands of applications from eager KISS fans, we selected four of them to do the painting.

A week before the KISS concert we attached the masks on the statues, so that everyone had ample time to check and selfie them. The masks became a temporary landmark sight, everyone in Helsinki wanted to see them.

On the concert day we invited the band to visit the statues, and they were more than willing to arrive. They were so impressed with the gigantic masks, that they asked VR to donate them to tour the various KISS Expo’ of the world.

Through each and every step of the process we carefully fed PR to press nationally and internationally.