This campaign was based purely on the power of the illustrations, as the executions did not even include any copywriting to get the message across.

The recognisable style of the illustrations, the timing of the campaign and the use of animal characters were all that was needed for the desired impact – both for the LGBT community and for the Musti Group brand.

Through its use of design, the campaign broke Pride campaign conventions such as the use of rainbows or forced brand messaging.

Tom of Finland is the first and most legendary Finnish LGBT icon. His drawings and masculine characters have achieved an iconic status among the Finnish LGBT community and the Finnish people as a whole. Tom of Finland’s drawings also inspired such artists as Freddie Mercury and Village People, further cementing their place in Finnish culture.

Finland classified homosexuality as a mental illness as late as 1981. So most importantly, Tom of Finland's characters symbolise the rapid change in Finnish society after that milestone.

Musti Group is the Nordic’s largest pet retailer. They’ve been a partner of Helsinki Pride for years, which on the surface might seem like a surprising collaboration.

However, pets and the LGBT community have a tight bond. The strict Finnish adoption laws mean that to many members of the LGBT community pets are a substitute for a child.

Studies show that especially gay and bisexual men look to pets as means of support, emphasising the pets’ role in their households.

Musti Group wanted to celebrate the unsung heroes of the LGBT community, and cement the pets’ place in Finnish LGBT culture. Simultaneously, Musti Group wanted to increase their brand preference among LGBT and other pet owners.

The canon of characters created by Tom of Finland is legendary in Finland. We decided to aim high, and contacted the Tom of Finland Foundation about including pets into the official Tom canon.

The task of creating the drawings was given to the Finnish artist Kajo Rauni. Their expertise in animal anatomy and ability to replicate Tom of Finland’s iconic pencil drawings made them the perfect choice.

Tom’s characters are well-known for their clothing, including leather jackets and caps, and sailor apparel. That’s what the animal characters were dressed to as well. The clothing was complimented by the official Tom of Finland patches and emblems familiar from the original artwork.

The new drawings were made digitally, emulating the pencil drawings of Tom. The shading, shapes and recognisable grain of the originals was meticulously imitated to make the new pet characters a seamless part of the Tom of Finland canon. Out of respect, no copy was included in the executions.