ERIF Sinterklaas Brand & Product Study 2026 By Bryel Kerkhoff-Parnell & Martijn Kerkmeijer 1 July 2026, 10 min read On this commemoration and celebration of Keti Koti / Kadena Kibra, in the Netherlands, Suriname and across the Caribbean, we bring to you the results of our 11th study on Sinterklaas branding and merchandising, which continues … More From sooty, to sneaky, to super Piet?
DEUTSCH | NEDERLANDS | FRANÇAISE The ERIF Sinterklaas Brand and Product study was launched in 2015 in order to evaluate how different (Dutch) shops and brands depict and market the Zwarte Piet character. Sinterklaas is one of the most popular festivals in the Netherlands and, in terms of active promotion and consumption, lasts for roughly … More ERIF’s Sinterklaas Brand and Product study 2025!
The ERIF Sinterklaas Brand and Product study began as a direct outcome of our first conference on European blackface. The Returning the Gaze conference brought together 15 scholars and campaigners from across Europe to collectively discuss and disrupt anti-Black rhetoric and imagery circulating heavily at that time, namely blackface. It was during this gathering, hosted … More Call for Submissions: ERIF’s 10th Sinterklaas report
NEDERLANDS | DEUTSCH | FRANÇAIS This year, the UN International Decade for People of African Descent comes to an end. This ending coincides with the forming of a far right-wing cabinet in the Dutch government, helmed by the PVV (The People’s Freedom Party). Indeed, European politics continues to move ever-rightward, putting the safety of all racially minoritised peoples … More ERIF Sinterklaas Brand & Product Study 2024: Shadows & Soot
The 2023 ERIF Sinterklaas Brand & Product Study is out now! ENGLISH I NEDERLANDS | FRANÇAIS | DEUTSCH *** In 2023, the European Race and Imagery Foundation (ERIF) publishes its eighth Sinterklaas Brand and Product study, Playing Hide & Seek with (Zwarte) Piet, based on data collection from the 2022 Sinterklaas season. Download the full report here. About the … More ERIF’s 8th Sinterklaas Brand and Product Study: Playing Hide & Seek with (Zwarte) Piet
The 2022 ERIF Sinterklaas Brand & Product Study is out now! NEDERLANDS | FRANÇAIS | DEUTSCH *** The European Race and Imagery Foundation’s (ERIF) annual Brand & Product report charts the evolution and relevance of the (Zwarte) Piet character, alongside the development of discussions on race, racism and inclusion, specific to the Netherlands. About the report The ERIF Sinterklaas … More ERIF Sinterklaas Brand and Product Study 2022: Sneaky Piets and Shirked Responsibilities
The 2020 ERIF Sinterklaas Brand & Product Study is out NOW! NEDERLANDS | FRANÇAIS | DEUTSCH *** We publish this report during a period of intense and global socio-political unrest regarding the continuous state sanctioned and worldwide violence towards people of African descent. Major protests erupted across the US in response to numerous recent killings … More Identity crisis as part of a new beginning?
Nederlands | Français | Deutsch The European Race and Imagery Foundation’s (ERIF) annual Brand & Product report charts the evolution and relevance of the (Zwarte) Piet character, alongside the development of discussions on race, racism and inclusion, specific to the Netherlands. Our fourth report, providing coverage of the 2018-2019 discussion, can be downloaded via our … More Sinterklaas Brand & Product report 2019: Smudged Cheeks and Middle Fingers
Since 2015, ERIF has conducted in-store and online research to look into how the image of Zwarte Piet is (or is not as the case may be) incorporated into the present-day Sinterklaas feast across the Netherlands. The team recently finished collecting data for the next (fourth) report, which is due to be published later this … More Summary of ERIF’s product and brand study on gal-dem!
“”Stop silencing black voices”, we wanted to say.” guest post by Archana Ramanujam *Excerpts of this blog post are featured in ERIF’s 2018 Sinterklaas Brand & Product Study. In 2017, the number of anti-Zwarte Piet demonstrations in the Netherlands burgeoned. There was the attempted demonstration at the national intocht in Dokkum [1] in the northern … More Against Zwarte Piet in 2017: A Personal Account
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