Fewer Oranje Commercials

Although companies come up with many 'Oranje' advertising campaigns about the inauguration, these campaigns are fewer than campaigns for a World Cup or European Championship, according to Gonnie Spijkers in his advertisement blog ‘Verse Reclame’.

Spijkers have followed these campaigns for years. "The investigation bureau GFK says that this event will be bigger, in terms of advertisements, than the World Cup, but I do not agree. I have kept track of the advertisement campaigns and  there are now only about 70 or 75 actions; I counted 130 advertising campaigns during the previous EK."

According to Spijkers, this may be due to the different opinions on the orange lion on the one hand and Queen Beatrix and Prince Willem-Alexander on the other. "It is more sensitive than a European or World Championship, I hear from advertisers, because there is some politics in it. People are either for or against the monarchy."

The short preparation time of three months also plays an important role. "For a World Cup, Albert Heijn starts thinking one year in advance. On top of that the inauguration is just a one day event, while a World Cup lasts a couple of weeks in which tension builds from game to game. Thus, the risk of the investment is bigger in the case of the inauguration. A gadget is worthless after only one day."