The Salvation Army Finland Shares the Gift of Hope in Poignant Christmas Film

Children across the globe are waiting for Christmas. Christmas is a not only a time of giving but also of receiving. Receiving love, time and attention. As one year draws to a close, we approach the new dawn of another. A time to gather together, to stop and to reflect and a time of hope for many. For some, however, hope is a little harder to grasp. 

Finland is recognised as the happiest country in the world but this happiness eludes some, even among Finland's children. The Salvation Army Finland's Christmas Kettle is a fundraising campaign designed to help Finnish families facing economic challenges.

This year's poignant campaign film is directed by award winning director Jakob Ström, known best for his work Dear Daddy for CARE Norway, and produced by Juha-Matti Nieminen of Directors Guild Helsinki. 

In Finland, as in everywhere in Scandinavia, Santa Claus personally visits homes on Christmas Eve to give presents to kids. Waiting for Santa to come is the major crescendo in all the anticipation of Christmas. The film shows heart-wrenchingly how painful it is when hope is lost and calls on viewers to give the greatest gift of all, hope. 

The campaign is a continuation of the work by Helsinki-based agency Make it Simple for the Salvation Army. It distinguishes itself in the mainstream of Christmas advertising by unveiling the invisible reality of economically challenging Christmases through the eyes of an innocent little girl.