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Why should international agencies hire a Dutch creative as opposed to an Englishman, German or French? If it’s for an international campaign, what’s the benefit? Erik Rolf, freelance ‘Nederlands’ copywriter, explains why it’s always best to go Dutch.
To illustrate why the Dutch advertising industry and Dutch creatives in particular are the best I could point to the Grand Prix and Gold Lions won by Wieden & Kennedy and 180 in Amsterdam. I could show you the work of KesselsKramer, StrawberryFrog, Amsterdam Worldwide or Taxi. Then walk round the new hot shops like They, Selmore and N=5. Perhaps show what’s going on at Sid Lee, AKQA or Achtung.
And then to explain why we’re leading in Europe, I might point to how Amsterdam’s culture attracts the top creative names. How the country’s corporate tax laws encourage international companies to have their European headquarters here, which brings top agencies to service them. How it is historically a country at the heart of Europe. How being the traders of the world for centuries, have made sure that we realize that every euro spend, has to be earned back several times. Or that how being such a small country, taught us to look beyond borders and focus on what we have in common with others.
But instead I’ll use myself so you can better understand. I am enormous.
dutch creatives
I stand a solid 2m tall, weigh 100kg and I’m built in proportion (that’s one for the ladies). I can handle twice as many briefs as the typical Spaniard. My head is huge and my brain weighs 1.4 times as much as a typical Italian and with the increased blood supply, I can work for 4 hours longer than an English copywriter without needing alcohol. I can use my height to impress clients (although honestly, most of the times I let my work do that). Being a blonde makes me easier to find in your agency, which in turn makes communication easier and faster. My length gives me better overview. And something for others to look up to.
These physical attributes make me a thoroughbred when it comes to delivering on brief, and I am typical of the new breed of Dutch creatives. That’s why we’ve won so many awards and produced such effective advertising. That’s why The Netherlands is coming out of recession while the rest of Europe struggles. We’re just bigger.
The Collective represents the biggest Dutch creatives in the business and they don’t come any bigger than me. Check my website or collective portfolio if you’re interested in hiring me for freelance work.