Jaap Reesema chooses Harol

To give Harol’s brand awareness in the Netherlands a boost, we launched a PR campaign in 2022 starring none other than singer-songwriter Jaap Reesema. In exchange for the installation of a Harol patio cover, Harol was able to conduct an interview, photo shoot, and video shoot with Jaap. This generated a great deal of high-quality content for Harol. Through a large-scale campaign, we ensured that the content was widely distributed, not only via Harol and the media, but also through Harol dealers, who received an extensive communication kit from us containing all the content. We developed the entire campaign from A to Z: from the concept and the initial conversations with Jaap in 2022, to supervising the photo and video shoot with Jaap, and developing all content.

Collaboration with Jaap
For Harol, Jaap was the perfect collaboration partner; he was a well-known face in both Belgium and the Netherlands and was at the start of his real breakthrough in the music industry. We know Jaap, among other things, from his song ‘Nu Wij Niet Meer Praten’ together with Pommelien Thijs, with which he scored a #1 hit in both the Netherlands and Belgium in 2021. Since then, his popularity has only continued to grow, and he has appeared in various TV shows, had his own theatre tour in the Netherlands and Belgium, and launched a successful podcast.

For Harol’s campaign, we first approached Jaap in 2022. At that time, we were aware that Jaap had purchased a new home that he was planning to renovate extensively. For us, this was the perfect moment to start a conversation with Jaap about his wishes for his garden and terrace. Jaap was just as enthusiastic about Harol as we were, which allowed us to arrange a collaboration based on a barter deal. In exchange for the installation of a Harol patio cover with screens, we were allowed to conduct an interview and a photo and video shoot with Jaap and his family. Harol is permitted to use the visual material for PR and marketing purposes for a period of three years. To ensure that all agreements were clear for all parties involved, we drafted a collaboration contract for this purpose.

Coordinating visual material
The first step of the campaign was the development of the visual material. We selected the photographer and videographer, prepared a briefing, coordinated the on-location shoot, selected the images and videos, and advised Harol on the use of the visual material. We organised two shoots: one shoot during the installation of the Harol louvered roof at Jaap’s home, and one shoot showing the final result. This allowed us to tell the complete story — from installation to end result — and also gave us multiple moments throughout the year to communicate.

Content creation
Based on the developed visual material and the conversations with Jaap, we created a large amount of new content for Harol: various newsletters for Harol dealers, 15 blogs, a reference case, various social media posts, multiple articles for B2B media, 15 advertorials (concept, design, and copy), and five online articles for various lifestyle media in the Netherlands and Belgium. The videographer was also present during the final shoot and, based on this, developed a new brand video for Harol as well as five short videos for social media.

Dealer communication kit
Harol’s dealers are extremely important to the brand. To actively involve them in this campaign, we developed a special communication kit. Through this kit, we informed dealers about the collaboration with Jaap and shared various content elements and guidelines for the use of the material. The ready-to-use media kit consisted of:

• A selection of high-resolution images that dealers were allowed to use on their own channels, in brochures, and for POS materials;

• Eight blogs about the Harol patio cover and/or screens at Jaap’s home, to be published online;

• Five social media posts about the Harol patio cover and/or screens at Jaap’s home, for Instagram and Facebook;

• POS materials, including various advertisements with white space, allowing dealers to easily add their own logo and deploy the advertisements themselves.

Through the Harol newsletter, we informed dealers about the communication kit and, throughout the campaign period from March to September 2024, repeatedly brought the kit to their attention.

Social media
We advised Harol to also deploy shared media, such as their Instagram and Facebook channels, to distribute the content featuring Jaap. We developed a social media plan, as well as various stories and feed posts, and advised on sponsored posts. Jaap himself also shared the new Harol patio cover and screens on his own account several times, adding his own personal touch. In this way, we reached a broad audience.

Media campaign
Finally, we developed a media plan for Harol focused on B2C lifestyle media, both print and online. In the period from March to September 2024, 15 advertorials and five online articles featuring Jaap’s story and visual material were published. These media collaborations also resulted in additional editorial exposure for Harol, including features in residence.nl, TuinSeizoen, Landidee, and an online article on fabulousmama.nl.