“Ad Sinterim”
CEO Pieter Zwart told he could not refuse the offer from the buyer, during a “hastily” arranged press conference. The buyer turned out to be Sinterklaas, who paid 1 billion in gingerbread nuts. “Sinterklaas would become the company’s CSO, but only “ad sinterim” (a pun on “ad interim” and “Sint”). As soon as the Sinterklaas period (revolving around 6 December) passes, the man would return to his home in Spain.
The rumours therefore turned out to be a marketing stunt, even involving the company’s employees who had received an email which stated major news would be unveiled at a press conference. It quickly became clear that there would be no actual take-over.
This promotional campaign did result in a huge amount of attention, both on news sites and on social media where the replies are overwhelmingly positive. In that regard, Coolblue has definitely hit the mark.
