Attending typography courses and working at printers in Finland and Germany, Varis started in advertising in 1957. In 1959 he joined SEK Advertising, worked in the studio, later became an art director and was finally made responsible for the agency’s artistic output. New personal developments were to follow. In 1988, together with Esa Ojala, he began on his own again as V&O, listing Nokia as one of the principal clients. At the turn of the millennium he once more shed the responsibilities of agency management, since then doing consultative work and freelance advertising art, and calling this operation Varis Original. Internationally he cherish his awards from Warsaw and Brno. His aim has always been to design posters, which can communicate without words. Yusaku Kamekura has described his posters as being ‘full of clear-cut humour, like Herbert Leupin’s, yet totally of its own brand and breed.’ In 1983 he received the honorary title of professor.