Why NORD DDB and SKF Built an Underwater Space Programme
It’s not every day that an ad agency helps develop a space programme; but NORD DDB has that story to tell.
The agency was enlisted by manufacturing company, SKF, as a partner in its mission to make better use of the Earth’s energy, which it primarily does by reducing the high amount wasted on overcoming friction. As their very first project together, while others race to space to extract its untapped resources, they found a way to unlock them right here on Earth – via the Faroe Islands Space Program.
A joint effort with tidal energy developer Minesto and municipally owned Faroese power company, Sev, the innovation harnesses the power of the moon that’s already available to us by placing tidal kites in the North Atlantic Ocean. These underwater ‘spacecrafts’ provide a predictable and renewable source of energy, with the capacity to provide enough electricity for 200 villas for a year.
So how did the NORD DDB team gear up for this pioneering undertaking with SKF? LBB’s Zara Naseer spoke to art director, Carl Laurén; Ida Nordeng, junior copywriter; and Linn Löfholm, junior art director, to find out.
LBB> Talk us through how the idea for the Faroe Islands Space Program was born.
Carl> SKF is one of the world’s leading companies with a presence in 130 countries and 40 industries. Ever since they started in 1907, they have been making some of the world’s most innovative products and solutions to fight friction. Since 20% of all energy produced is used to overcome friction, reducing it means actually gaining more usable energy. That’s why SKF is committed to making the most of the resources we already have.
At the same time, we noticed that countries and companies were looking to the moon in search of more energy resources. So, together with tidal energy company Minesto, the creator of the ‘spacecrafts’, and one of the world’s smallest countries, the Faroe Islands, we tapped into that cultural conversation and gave another perspective on moon energy: the Faroe Islands Space Program. A space programme that doesn't leave Earth but instead harnesses moon power we already have – tidal energy – using ‘spacecrafts’ that go in the opposite direction – underwater.
LBB> You dived straight into the deep end (pardon the pun) for your first project with SKF. Why was this the right way to kick off the partnership, and how does it set the tone for the rest of it?
Ida> SKF is much more than a bearing maker. It’s a clean tech company really – and that type of brand makes big bold moves. We didn’t want to create another campaign, but real action that stands out to showcase SKF’s mindset and move the world forward. We call them Fighting Friction initiatives.
It will act as an umbrella under which all future ideas are developed – a long-term activation platform that lets us tap into pop culture while staying true to the core creative concept. We’ll continue with the same tone and feel: doing the unexpected to capture people’s attention, from tech enthusiasts to those who’ve never heard of a bearing.
LBB> Many different players in different industries had a role in making this programme a reality. How did that cross-industry experience benefit the project?
Ida> You mean us trying to understand what a senior power generation system engineer does? Well. What we can say is that for such a technical project where it’s super important that every detail is correct, we’re glad we had these guys on board. Getting different perspectives is always valuable, and it’s something that’s clearly built this project and made it what it is today.
LBB> Why is it so crucial to flip the focus from extracting resources in space to on Earth?
Linn> With sustainability becoming less of a talking point globally – even as we feel its effects more than ever – it felt natural to shift the perspective: to dig where you stand, rather than look to space for potential resources. That’s not to say we’re against exploring space for solutions, but we should also try to make the best use of the resources we already have on Earth.
LBB> What was your approach to condensing all the key points about the initiative – how it works, why it’s worthwhile – into an easily digestible and engaging film?
Linn> First and foremost, we felt it had to be entertaining. That said, we probably wrote over two hundred scripts, tested just as many edits, and R&D’ed our way towards a film we felt ticked all the boxes. The making of the film was kind of a ‘run-and-gun’ production – jumping on a plane to the Faroe Islands and taking things as they came. Since we wanted to stay flexible, we chose not to work in the traditional way with a production company but instead teamed up with a freelance DOP and producer. On top of that, we all did our best to chip in with our directorial abilities and opinions.
So, no real secret – just a matter of working on it long enough, and collaborating closely with SKF, until it did exactly what we wanted it to do.
LBB> I imagine an initiative like this wasn’t easy to pull off – but what was the most interesting challenge you were up against? What solution did you come up with?
Ida> This project has of course been a rollercoaster in many ways, from pushing the shooting days two weeks closer because of weather conditions in the Faroe Islands, to understanding what type of paint wouldn’t just glide off a tidal kite experiencing a g-force of 3.5 for four months straight. Once more, it all came together thanks to some seriously sharp minds and close collaboration with all the involved parties.
LBB> What does this project mean for the future of B2B?
Carl> B2B campaigns have traditionally been driven by rational thinking, focused on key product benefits and facts. This stems from the belief that people in business respond primarily to logic. Simply put, we do not share that belief. Behind every business decision is, ultimately, a person. And people don’t just respond to facts – they respond to emotion, relevance, and human insights. So, that’s what we tried to do here, adding an occasional sheep to dial up the human, relatable details.
LBB> What’s the overarching goal you’re hoping to achieve through this programme, and what kind of results have come in so far?
Linn> Our goal was to bring SKF’s core mindset – making the most of the resources we already have – to a wider audience. We did that this time by supporting their partner Minesto, whose tidal energy solution perfectly embodies that belief.
So far, the Faroe Islands Space Program has led to 1,250 media mentions across 140 markets in titles such as the BBC, BILD and Interesting Engineering – a potential earned reach of 500 million impressions. Additionally, we have had half a million clicks to our unique website and 25 million views on our in-depth tech films. Beyond that, the best part has been seeing engineers making their sometimes first-ever appearance on social platforms – posting about a space programme that their employer, somewhat surprisingly, ended up launching.
We proved that you can get results within B2B. Not by launching yet another campaign, but by doing something real, something which has talk-value and can engage people and audiences far beyond the immediate customer base. We did it by showcasing a company’s mindset by launching a real space programme with one of the smallest countries on the planet. It's not every day we get to do something like that!
