This holiday season Marktplaats urges parents to give what children want most: someone else’s toys.

Amsterdam, October 31st, 2024 ​
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​The holiday season is just around the corner, and with it comes the annual search for the perfect gifts for (grand)children. This year, Dutch second-hand platform Marktplaats is launching a new campaign to inspire (grand)parents to give second-hand toys as gifts instead of new ones. The message: nothing is as wonderful as someone else's toy, so give a toy that has belonged to someone else.

This relatable insight forms the basis of Marktplaats' new campaign. The fact that this surprising observation is drawn from every parent's life is reflected in the execution of the campaign itself. Marktplaats uses familiar, real home video footage of various children clearly desiring another child's toy. The result is an authentic and relatable campaign that brings a smile to every parent’s face.

While many parents think that their children are only happy with the newest and trendiest toys, one look at your kids shows the opposite: they prefer someone else’s toys.

December: dominated by overconsumption

December is clearly a time when a lot of toys are given to children. To illustrate: research by ABN Amro predicted that in 2023, around €15.6 billion would be spent on holiday gifts in the Netherlands.

The holiday period is also a time when thousands of advertisements try to tempt (grand)parents to buy the latest and most fashionable toys, in a society already marked by overconsumption

Better for your child. Better for the world.

Parents naturally want the best for their child. It turns out that what's best for their child is also best for the world.

Every deal makes a big difference — no wonder it's the mantra of the Netherlands' largest platform for second-hand products. Your child is happy, and the world becomes a little happier too.

"Sometimes we get our inspiration from our very own lives. In this case, from our own children."

Drawn from life

Valerie Heeremans-Niedersüß, Chief Marketing Officer at Marktplaats: "Many people still hesitate about whether second-hand toys are good enough to give as gifts. We understand that parents feel the pressure to always buy the latest and most expensive toys. But every parent knows that another’s toy always has a great attraction for children. In fact, kids seem to prefer playing with someone else’s toys."

"With this campaign, we want to show that second-hand toys are therefore a very logical choice for the holidays. Together, we can reduce the environmental impact of the holiday season without sacrificing playtime fun. It’s wonderful to think that what’s redundant for one can be a fantastic gift for another.”

“Sometimes we get our inspiration from our very own lives. In this case, from our own children," shares Joey Boeters, creative partner at Happiness Amsterdam, responsible for the concept. "How many times I’ve shouted, ‘That’s not yours!’ at the playground is too many to count on three hands. But now I see that behavior in a different light. I see it as something positive.”

Nik Sluijs, creative partner at Happiness Amsterdam: "The strength of an insight so grounded in daily life is that every time your own children exhibit this behavior, it becomes a reminder of the campaign. We hope to convince as many parents as possible to consider used toys as gifts this holiday season.”

“Every time your own children exhibit this behavior, it becomes a reminder of the campaign.”

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The campaign will be visible on TV, online and social media, (d)OOH, and through influencers starting October 28th.

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​CREDITS
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​Client
​Marktplaats
​Marie Lootvoet, Grietje Suijkerbuijk, Anna Bressers, Harshita Sharma & Eveline Eberhardt

Creative Agency
​Happiness Amsterdam
​Geoffrey Hantson, CCO
​Joey Boeters, Creative Partner
​Nik Sluijs, Creative Partner
​Daan de Raaf, Strategy Partner
​Iris Minnema, Business Partner
​Marloes Hartsuiker, Junior Creative,
​Lovina Mohns, Junior Account Manager
​Arthur Jeronimo Nunes, Motion Designer
​Mathias Hoet, Motion Designer
​Karel Chanterie, Motion Designer
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​Production | Polak Films
​Bo Polak, Executive Producer
​Juliette Stevens, Director
​Erik van den Heuvel, Colorist @ De Grot
​Sharkee, Sound Designer @ HaaiFaai
​Jorrit Kleijnen & Jacob Meijer, Music Composers
​Amber Hooijmans, Edit
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​Media & PR
​MediaCom
​Abovo Maxlead
​TEAM LEWIS

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​For more inquiries, please contact Joey Boeters at joey@happiness-anywhere.com