HEMA wins Gouden Loeki for third consecutive year with iconic Christmas advert: a look back

It's official: the Gouden Loeki, the coveted award for the best advert in the Netherlands, has gone to HEMA for the third year in a row. When the winner was announced on the TV programme last week, there was hardly any surprise. Anyone who had their television on at any point during December already knew which advert it would be. The Christmas commercial starring Takkie and Siepie has once again captured viewers' hearts, and the professional jury couldn't overlook it either. It's a remarkable achievement: creating the best advert three years running is something only a few brands manage.

Why this HEMA advert hits the mark

We know the formula by now. No complicated storyline, no expensive Hollywood effects, just a pure and relatable moment. This year, we see a sick girl lying on the sofa. She feels awful, and nothing seems to help. That is, until Takkie and Siepie, the two loyal four-legged friends, reveal themselves as true caregivers. With a teacup and a blanket, they manage to bring a smile to her face. It's not a grand gesture, but the small, sincere love that radiates from the advert. This is precisely what makes the HEMA advert Gouden Loeki winning material. The power lies in its relatability; it reminds us all of that one time we were ill and someone, or a pet, looked after us.

Reviews of this HEMA advert poured in from its very first airing. Social media was flooded with praise. People with tears in their eyes, parents recognising their own children on the sofa, and, of course, the inevitable devoted Takkie and Siepie fans. It serves as a guide on how to do it right in the advertising world: focus on emotion, not on product features. You see the dog and the cat, you feel the warmth, and before you know it, you're that little child again, wanting to be comforted. The link to HEMA is by no means a pushy sales pitch; it feels like a natural part of a Dutch household.

The secret formula behind the Gouden Loeki series

For me, the success of this series of adverts isn't just down to the script or the actors. It's the how to use of an icon: how to use HEMA advert Gouden Loeki to make a brand immortal. The answer is simple: be consistent and dare to be vulnerable. Where many brands try to launch a completely new, often over-the-top, crazy Christmas campaign each year, HEMA has found a line they stick to. They build on the success of previous years, but manage to tap into that one new, universal feeling each time. Last year the theme was absence, the year before it was loneliness, and now it's the need for comfort. All themes that resonate even more strongly in December – the month of dark days and family.

• Relatability: The situation is everyday, yet the execution is cinematic. Everyone recognises the comfort of a pet or a loved one.
• Nostalgia: Takkie and Siepie have been icons for decades. By putting them front and centre, they effortlessly tap into the nostalgia of older viewers, while for new generations, they're also adorable new friends.
• Simplicity: No complex message. The advert shows the products (the blankets, the tea sets), but makes them secondary to the story. It doesn't feel like an advert; it feels like a short film.

I know people who say that the Gouden Loeki is a formality these days, that HEMA gets it handed to them. But that's too simplistic. Winning a series like this, year after year, is something only a brand that truly belongs in the living room can achieve. It's no surprise that this year's Gouden Loeki review was almost unanimously positive. The professional jury praised the 'timeless storytelling' and 'authenticity', two terms you wouldn't normally hear in the same sentence about a retail chain. Yet HEMA manages to pull it off: they turn a chain of shops into a feeling. And that feeling is the real prize they win, even before that little statuette.

So, cheers to Takkie, cheers to Siepie, and cheers to the people at HEMA who understand that the best advert is one that doesn't make you feel like you're watching an advert. Same again next year? The bar has certainly been set very high once more.