Coolest Dutch Brand 2020

Last night we were part of the public jury during the Coolest Dutch Brand 2020 final. The event took place at the inspiring museum for street art and graffiti ‘STRAAT’ in Amsterdam North. Surrounded by large-scale, brightly coloured pieces of art, the 3 finalists, Fairphone, Naif and MUD Jeans pitched to the jury. With impressive and inspiring stories, they shared their challenges and achievements alike. And while all three brands fight their own industry battles, they all have one thing in common that differentiates them from other, sometimes much larger, competitors in the market. Simply put, they all exist to disrupt the status quo and make a positive, more sustainable difference in the world. The impact that they hope to have is not a monetary one, but one of industry awareness, protection of the environment and social benefit. These brands are here not to take over competitors – rather, they are focused on changing both consumer and industry mindsets. 

As impressive as all three stories were, unfortunately only one of them could be the winner of the Dutch Coolest Brand 2020. Fairphone, ‘the phone that cares for people and planet’, convinced the jury they were the most innovative, most resilient brand out of the three. Fairphone is on a mission to change the disposal behaviour when it comes to electronics – making an impact where it is most needed within the industry: welfare and human rights for miners and workers and the planet’s endangered ecosystem. Fairphone’s innovative solution to solving the short life of electronics is to create a modular system for easy upgrades with simple repair parts which can be fixed and replaced by users themselves, enabling them to have a working phone for many more years. The brand uses recycled and responsibly sourced materials and is committed to providing good working conditions and a fair living wage to workers throughout the supply chain. Congratulations to the winner! Read more about the Coolest Dutch Brands 2020 competition (article in Dutch).