A Dutch bicycle rental shop telling customers to “put the fun between your legs” has been awarded the coveted title of the Worst Slogan of 2023. 

Tuut-tuut wins Worst Dutch Slogan of 2023

For the 12th time since the initiative started, the worst brand slogan of the year in the Netherlands has once again been decided. Votes were placed on a shortlist of contenders between December 8 and 13 by members of the public, and the results make for fun reading. 

Tuut-tuut, a company that rents bicycles in Castricum, was crowned the winner with the slogan “Put the fun between your legs!” They got 21 percent of the votes and will receive a commemorative tile emblazoned with their company name and slogan in Delft blue style.

Companies receive publicity for their bad slogans

Marieke van der Zande, owner of Tuut-tuut bicycle rental, said she was overjoyed with the win. “How funny this is, I'm so surprised!” She said the slogan started as a joke between friends, one of whom actually printed the sticker that now appears on the storefront bearing the slogan. 

Other nominees on the list were not so enthusiastic, however. Heerhugowaard Animal Crematorium, who ranked for their slogan, “A warm farewell to your beloved pet”, said that the double meaning was not intentional. The owner of the Hakkenberg funeral home said their slogan “Wij zijn uw rouwvast” (“We are your grief-proof” - a play on the word “houwvast”, meaning “rock”) was “carefully chosen” together with an advertising agency. 

Second place went to Rijkers Naaimachinespecialist, a company that specialises in sewing machines, for their slogan “Have a naai’s day”, which makes a pun on the Dutch word for “sew” and the English word “nice”. Third place went to the cat speciality business 4Cats with their double-take-inducing slogan “Everything for stuffing your pussy.” 

Tuut-tuut said the nomination was not bad for their business (or for any entrepreneur, for that matter), bringing them lots of media attention. “I suddenly received calls from journalists from the newspaper and the radio. People from the village congratulate me and selfies are now regularly taken at my shop,” said Van der Zande.

The worst adverts of 2023 in the Netherlands

Overall, 5.820 voters cast 8.987 votes in the ballot. The shortlist was selected from around 2.500 submissions sent in by members of the public. 

The top 10 worst slogans for 2023, according to the Dutch public, were as follows: 

1. Put the fun between your legs - Tuut-tuut fietsverhuur
2. Have a naai’s day - Rijkers Naaimachinespecialist
3. Everything for stuffing your pussy! - 4Cats
4. Voor een warm afscheid van uw geliefde huisdier (For a warm farewell to your beloved pet) - Dierencrematorium Heerhugowaard
5. Wij zijn uw rouwvast! (We are your grief-proof!) - Hakkenberg Uitvaartzorg
6. Wij weten het veter (We know it shoelace - a play on the word “beter”, meaning better) - pop-up sneakerstore BijSMAAK
7. Freeselijk goed werk, verdraaid leuke collega’s (Terribly good work, damn nice colleagues!) - GAB metaal
8. We Whisky you a Sherry Christmas - Drankdozijn.nl
9. Niet bang voor een KAKastrofe! (Not afraid of a caca-tastrophe!) - Pampers
10. Wasmachinebestendig: op de maan en thuis (Machine washable: on the moon and at home) - Tempo zakdoekjes

For the full ranking and pictures of the adverts, visit the sloganverkierzing.nl website.