The advertising industry in Amsterdam has long been a dynamic force first gaining traction right at the turn of the millennium. The city has always been an active industrial and economic hub in Northern Europe for centuries, so Amsterdam's transition into a creative powerhouse and a major centre within the international advertising scene is not a surprise. All of this comes back to the late 90s, when Wieden+Kennedy made a significant move by making a home base in Amsterdam in order to meet demands of clients, who moved to Amsterdam because of the favourable tax climate. You have to follow the clients and that’s what Wieden+Kennedy. Naturally, this opened a brand new chapter for the advertising industry in Amsterdam as more and more brands chose to relocate their marketing headquarters to the city. Agencies followed suit. Thus, the city’s booming advertising scene came to be born. For the past 25 years, Amsterdam-based agencies have produced some of the world’s biggest and most impactful ad campaigns. With a legacy deeply rooted in trade and multiculturalism, the city’s mentality remains open and progressive, attracting a particular breed of creative individuals. Impressively, over 30 percent of Amsterdam's workforce holds a job in the creative industries. It’s a clear sign the advertising industry will continue to expand and evolve. Over the course of the last decade, more and more agencies are opening doors in the city. Some Dutch, some international – the line between the two groups increasingly blurs. In this mature market, the pioneers among the first big international agencies are still thriving, while Dutch agencies are rapidly catching up in terms of innovative creative campaigns that garner accolades at prestigious award shows. Notable examples include the 2014 'Sweetie' campaign by Lemz and MediaMonks, and 2016’s 'The Next Rembrandt' by J Walter Thompson Amsterdam.