Helsinki, the European city, is making a bold move to encourage Pamela Anderson to embrace her Finnish heritage by offering to assist her in changing her name. Anderson, known for her roles in “Baywatch” and “The Last Showgirl,” recently expressed her strong connection to her Finnish grandfather, Herman Hyytiäinen, in an interview with Vogue Scandinavia.
Her grandfather’s original name was Hyytiäinen before it was altered to Anderson upon his arrival in Canada in 1908. Anderson expressed her desire to reclaim the Hyytiäinen name, stating in the Vogue interview, “Sometimes I don’t want to be Pamela Anderson. I want to be Pamela Hyytiäinen.”
Responding to Anderson’s sentiments, Helsinki Partners, a marketing company owned by the City of Helsinki, has launched a campaign to support Anderson in becoming a Hyytiäinen. The campaign includes online advertisements and billboards near Anderson’s residence on Vancouver Island. A video ad featuring Finnish actor Janne Hyytiäinen, humorously dubbed as the “world’s most famous Hyytiäinen,” offers assistance to Anderson in embracing her Finnish roots.
The ad outlines three ways for Anderson to adopt the Hyytiäinen name: through marriage, adoption, or a legal name change, cleverly dubbed as “Operation Make Pamela a Hyytiäinen.” Helsinki emphasizes its status as the “world’s happiest nation” and extends a warm invitation to Anderson to explore her Finnish heritage in the city.
Billboard ads strategically placed along the highway in Ladysmith, B.C., where Anderson resides, specifically target her, further encouraging her to consider reconnecting with her Finnish ancestry. Soila Lehkonen, from Helsinki Partners, describes the campaign as a welcoming gesture for Anderson to visit Helsinki and reconnect with her Finnish roots.
Despite not receiving a response from Anderson’s team, Helsinki remains hopeful for her visit. Even if Anderson decides to retain her current name, Helsinki is eager to showcase the city and country to her and support her journey if she chooses to pursue a name change in the future.