De Koffiejongens: Mannentoeslag

Men receive a higher salary, so they pay a higher price for their coffee cups. That is the idea behind Mannentoeslag (Men's Tax), the campaign that Maak and De Koffiejongens launched in 2021. With the campaign, founders Walter Morriën and Corné van Drogenbroek wanted to draw attention to the pay gap. With the proceeds of the men's tax, they developed a sustainable entrepreneurship course for girls together with Project Fearless.

De Koffiejongens was founded by Walter Morriën and Corné van Drogenbroek. The concept: sustainable and fair coffee. What makes it fair? Fully biodegradable cups, packaging with an FSC label and fair prices for the farmers. To amplify that social involvement, they turned to Maak.

In their new campaign, De Koffiejongens wanted to address the pay gap between men and women. The idea: Men earn on average 14 percent more than women in the same position. Yet they pay the same for their coffee. Quite strange, thought De Koffiejongens. So they came up with the Men's Tax which gave men the option to pay 14 percent more for their coffee. Fair enough, right?

Maak created the concept and did the production for the campaign. Laika Agency provided the photography and key visuals, together with Blyde we developed a PR strategy. We announced the Men's Tax through advertisements in national newspapers and on social media, without giving any further explanation.

We involved news platform GeenStijl and opinion maker Stella Bergsma in our strategy. We asked both parties to throw a lot of oil on the fire. GeenStijl published an article about the campaign on their website: 'And as a death blow from the matriarchy, we now receive a men's tax of 14% on the last thing that kept us going: coffee.' Stella Bergsma focused on the proponents of the action. Her tweets sparked a heated discussion, bringing the campaign to the attention of the general public.

Then a article appeared in Het Parool, in which Walter provided further explanation. Contrary to popular belief, the proceeds of the tax did not disappear into the pockets of De Koffiejongens. They used the money to develop an eight-week sustainable business course. They did this together with Project Fearless: a non-profit organization that stimulates self-awareness in girls and non-binary children aged 9 to 14 through continuing education and workshops. Several guest teachers came by to teach, and there was even high-profile visit.

PR results Men's Tax

• Ad value: €90,043.13
• Media value: €267,378.65
• Accumulated Potential Range: 12,086.224

The Men's Tax project fits perfectly with our idea of ​​'new era marketing'. With our campaigns we want to make people think. We respond to current events and encourage organizations to really stand for something. This is how you build a brand that customers like to join.

Maak works for all kinds of interesting clients. Companies that all believe in our idea of ​​new era marketing. Curious? View our other cases.