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...since 1865: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia#History

Inspired by The Sunday Challenge 'Slogan', I made a day trip to Nokia, a neighbouring town of Tampere. That is where Nokia company and corporation got it's name and origin.

First Nokia Co. made paper, but rather soon rubber coated electric cables became as the main product for decades. Later on Nokia started to manufacture all kinds of things made out of rubber, like tires, rubber boots and yes, even rubber batons like seen in the image! This kind of rubber batons were used by policemen, and bent like seen in the image, they were rather compact tools. On old advertisements, selling these batons, there were slogans used like: "When words does not help, there you need Nokia baton!"

In 1970s Nokia Co. started to engineer and manufacture electronics. During the next decades they made things like radio phones, military communicators, televisions and even computers. In the end of 1980s Nokia Tyres and Nokia Rubber Works split away from Nokia Corporation, which then focused only on communications. At the same time started the golden years of "fully portable mobile phones", and time when the slogan "connecting people" became launched.

People may think Nokia Corporation became fully owned and "killed" by Microsoft. However, it was only the mobile phone division and Nokia phone brand that were sold. The Nokia Corporation continued as Nokia Networks, and it still is a large multinational data networking and telecommunications equipment company.

UPDATE December 18, 2019:

One should not forget also Nokia rubber boots! In Finland there is still a custom to have rubber boot throwing competitions, except we do not throw Wellie but Nokia. And as similar to that there are even Nokia phone throwing competitions arranged.

Moreover, I just discovered that Nokia phones came back "home" (Finland) again!

UPDATE December 20, 2019:

I wonder why there are no following competitions as well:

▪ Throwing at Nokia community with something, or throwing something away from Nokia. Either throwing something at or away from Nokia town hall, or throwing something (like Nokian Footwear) across the border of Nokia from neighboring communities or vice versa.

▪ Throwing Nokia Tyres, aka tires. Like done on this FirePower CrossFit's First Annual Tire Throwing Competition YouTube video.
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46 comments

Taormina said:

Interessant!
8 years ago ( translate )

Sami Serola (inactiv… replied to Taormina:

Thank you Katja =)
8 years ago ( translate )

Chrissy said:

Eine gelungene Arbeit!
8 years ago ( translate )

Sami Serola (inactiv… replied to Chrissy:

Danke schön, Chrissy =)
8 years ago ( translate )

Bruce Dean (Puchinpa… said:

I think I had an elementary school teacher that had one of those batons. :)

It was interesting to hear the history of Nokia.
8 years ago

Sami Serola (inactiv… replied to Bruce Dean (Puchinpa…:

Not sure whether to laugh or cry... ;-) Luckily that sort of discipline is (hopefully) no longer needed in schools.

Yes, and there is of course much more to tell... I just had no time and energy to tell it in my bad English. But I give you some "keywords" (ideas) to search for:

- Rubber boot throwing contest (especially 'Kontio' brand rubber boots made by Nokia used?
- Cell phone throwing contest (especially early Nokia models used)

So, Finns have used to throw away things made by Nokia... =D I wonder if there is a 'Nokia car tyre throwing contest'...
8 years ago

Diederik Santema said:

Never thought that connecting people would incorporate rubber batons...
8 years ago

Sami Serola (inactiv… replied to Diederik Santema:

Well, it is part of the company history ;-) Sort of a "side product" when making more peaceful and connecting things like car tyres and rubber boots, and cables... =D
8 years ago

Karen's Place said:

I had no idea they did so much. Nice image for the slogan, Sami. I like that.
8 years ago

Sami Serola (inactiv… replied to Karen's Place:

Thank you Karen =) This baton I once bought from a second had shop, as a curiosity item =D
8 years ago

Dida From Augsburg said:

Ha - I suspected that we will see NOKIA here! ;-D

Interesting history, didn't know that they started with "rubber things"! ;-DD
8 years ago

Sami Serola (inactiv… replied to Dida From Augsburg:

He he he! =D Yes, it may sound odd, but it is actually rather logical continuum from telephone and electric cables to phones, computers etc. And since they were good at making quality rubber, then why not to make also rubber boots and tyres ;-)
8 years ago

autofantasia said:

Very educational Sami and beautifully illustrated! :)
8 years ago ( translate )

Jan said:

Very cool shot and good info!
8 years ago

Gudrun said:

I wouldn't like to connect with a Nokia rubber baton;-) Good one, Sami!
8 years ago