Kuusamon Juusto

Kuusamon Juusto – the northernmost cheesery in Finland – is surrounded by vast wilderness with dense pine forests, fells, rivers, rapids and 166 lakes. Located on the Arctic Circle, the ground in Kuusamo is snow-covered for approximately 200 days a year. In midwinter the night lasts for 24 hours while during the midsummer, it's daylight all day…  and all night. So, a peculiar location for a cheesery. On these latitudes it takes some courage and northern fighting spirit to lift a business from near bankruptcy to a profitable and thriving company.

This attitude and the pure, breathtaking nature was the inspiration for the cheesery's visual identity. The products get their names from local landmarks. For instance the Emmentals are named after various rapids. The more mature the cheese, the stronger the rapid. These places are depicted on maps, an essential part of the identity, and every cheese has a place and map of their own. This project was a two year collaboration including brand strategy, design and marketing communication.