History



SERLA WAS BORN IN THE GOLDEN SIXTIES

The roots of the Serla brand name lie deep in the Finnish soil, extending back to the early 1900s. The name itself was born – like many other things that have proved to be lasting – in the 1960s. The name has been carefully cherished over the years and at the same time updated in line with consumers’ changing demands. Serla is today one of the best known and most respected brand of tissue in Northern Europe – and development work continues.

Production of bathroom tissue began at the Mänttä mill of G.A. Serlachius Oy back in the early 1900s. Tissue paper, as we know it today was first produced in 1961, when a new tissue machine and several modern converting lines were started up at Mänttä, Finland. It was the start of a new era – Finns could now use real toilet tissue and the old silk paper was a thing of the past. To complement its revolutionary technical innovations the mill began brand name marketing, something that was unknown at the time. The aim was to boost consumption of tissue products.



Spreading the word

The products made at the Mänttä mill were brought together to form a single product family under the name “ Serla – the new helper in the home”. This applied not just to tissue, but also to the papers used in cooking – such as greaseproof paper. The name Serla originated from the name of the company. As a foreign name and somewhat awkward to pronounce, Serlachius had long since been shortened to the much easier Serla, a name that suited the products nicely.

Concerted efforts now began to get the name Serla firmly embedded in people’s minds. Bathroom tissue, household towels and paper handkerchiefs were taken from under the counters of pharmacies and stationery shops and placed in ordinary retail stores. The products were given much greater prominence, for example by arranging display window competitions, which shops were keen to take part in. Serla products were also advertised on television. In a TV animation, the Serla girl, created to symbolize Serla products, sang merrily of the merits of Mänttä’s tissue papers. Consultants travelled up and down the country presenting Serla products in stores, schools and other places.

The key role of the wholesale and retail trade in establishing the brand name was recognized from the outset. Traders were introduced to the Serla family of products and its entire supporting structure during tours taking in the main towns and cities. These marketing men from Mänttä arrived on their own train and organized the whole occasion, which started with a presentation of the products and ended with dancing and entertainment. The courses arranged at Mänttä for members of the retail and wholesale trades became famous throughout the land. Everyone from company directors down to sales assistants were served a substantial helping of tissue paper knowhow. And so during the 1960s Serla became a household name throughout Finland



Up with the times



In the years that followed, the Serla brand name was developed to keep up with the times. The packaging used in the 70s were both practical and informative. Bathroom tissue and household towels also began to be sold in large economy packs. Stores used Serla special offers to attract customers. The “Serla Summer” promotion – today Finland’s biggest non-food event – was held for the first time. As a result, tissue consumption in Finland in the 1970s rocketed.

During the 1980s, consumer preferences started to be felt in everyday goods. Some wanted premium quality toilet tissue, while others were happy with good-quality mid-priced products. Some were interested only in price. Environmental values arrived on the scene. To meet consumers’ needs, the Serla range was extended to include products aimed at specific consumer groups. Serla Satin bathroom tissue was the last word in luxury. The environmentally conscious were catered for with Serla tissue products based on a “lean use of resources” concept. The supporting slogan “It has to be Serla” was also introduced in the 1980s.

The systematic work of polishing and refining the Serla brand image continued during the 1990s. Information gleaned from a detailed consumer survey in the late 1990s led to a revision of the Serla brand name – it was rejuvenated, the product concept was updated, product quality improved, new packaging were introduced and the Serla name was given a new look. Also the supporting slogan was changed to “Serla – Strong and economic.” As a result, the name Serla became the brand of good-quality mid-priced products and products for the environmentally conscious.


The Serla squirrel symbol was given a prominent role in marketing the Serla brand name in the 2000s. Several campaigns urging consumers to collect different items have been arranged around Serla products. Metsä Tissue markets its Serla brand products not just in Finland but also in the other Nordic countries and in the Baltic States.