Pori launches €80,000 comedy campaign to lure residents from Joensuu

The city of Pori is rolling out a six-part sketch comedy series on social media to attract new residents and fend off Joensuu in a race for Finland’s tenth-largest municipality, public broadcaster Yle reports.

Starring comedians Joonas Nordman and Köpi Kallio—who also wrote the scripts—the campaign carries an €80,000 price tag funded by taxpayers. City marketing specialist Marika Virtanen defended the cost, noting that involvement of two well-known actors drives up production expenses. Compared to Pori’s 2020 Porisuhdeneuvoja (“Pori Relationship Advisor”) series, the new Porittajat (“Pori Recruiters”) is half the price, she said.

The sketches follow characters Vesku and Jari as they use questionable tactics to boost Pori’s population. Nordman, who plays Vesku, described the role as a familiar archetype. “I’ve met guys like Vesku in school, the army, even in Pori bars,” he told Yle. Audience feedback suggests the character resonates: one viewer claimed to have attended vocational school with him.

City manager Lauri Inna called the campaign’s tone “refreshing” and urged viewers to approach it with humor, though he declined to comment on specifics. He emphasized that officials gave Nordman and Kallio full creative freedom.

The stakes are high. Joensuu, currently Finland’s 11th-largest city, aims to overtake Pori in population by the early 2030s under its growth strategy. With a current gap of roughly 3,000 residents in Pori’s favor, Virtanen said the campaign targets young adults to counter Joensuu’s momentum.

Pori’s 2020 Porisuhdeneuvoja series, also starring Nordman as a satirical take on then-mayor Aino-Maija Luukkonen, successfully raised the city’s profile. Virtanen expressed confidence the new sketches will deliver similar results.