This year, bol is releasing The Big Toy Book for the sixth time. What does the book add to the Sinterklaas season?

With the book, we aim to enhance the magic and anticipation of Sinterklaas. What began as a paper book has now become an extensive activity book full of digital features, thanks to the accompanying app. Through QR codes, augmented reality (AR), and videos, children can explore toys in detail, as if they're right in front of them. This makes creating wish lists even more fun and practical, as it helps children consciously choose their favourite gifts. We know that kids continue to use the book with great pleasure even after the festive season. It’s much more than a catalogue; it’s a real activity book filled with games, quizzes, and technological gadgets.

A paper book doesn’t seem very sustainable, especially for a company where sustainability plays an important role. What is your perspective on this?

We understand that a paper toy book raises questions about how it aligns with our sustainability ambitions. We are aware of our environmental impact and aim to continuously reduce that impact. Therefore, we take measures to keep emissions as low as possible. The book is fully recyclable, made from PEFC-certified paper, and produced in the Netherlands, which significantly reduces transportation miles. Our ambition is to produce the book so that it is fully biodegradable, allowing it to be disposed of in the compost bin after use, for example by using beet paper, pineapple paper, or other biodegradable materials. Unfortunately, we are also dependent on technological developments and the pace of innovation from external partners. We continue to seek further ways to reduce our ecological footprint. Naturally, we also find it important that the books are not wasted and offer ideas on other ways to use the book, such as crafting, using it as wrapping paper, or passing it on to others.

Some books feature a CO2-neutral logo. What does that mean?

This logo on the delivery label of The Big Toy Book refers to the delivery of the book. It is printed on the back of the books delivered to homes – not on the books available for collection at Albert Heijn or Delhaize. The CO2-neutral logo does not refer to the production of the book. We have included information in the colophon at the back of the book on how we keep emissions as low as possible. Since we do not explain what this logo refers to and do not substantiate it, it creates ambiguity, whereas we find careful communication about sustainability very important. Therefore, this logo will no longer appear on the toy book in the future.

You indicate that the book can help ‘Sinterklaas assistants’ give the right gifts. How does this work?

One of the biggest challenges for Sinterklaas is buying the right gift. He wants to make children happy with an unforgettable Sinterklaas Eve. The app can help him with this. With the app, children can look up many details about toys, such as what exactly is included in a Lego set, what the world of a game looks like, and what the size is of the cute cuddly toy they have their eye on. This way, they can make their wish lists more targeted. Through The Big Toy App, Sinterklaas assistants can gain insight into the toys that children have added to their digital wish lists – of course only with permission, as parents need to link their account for this. Bol’s Sinterklaas campaign this year is centred around the principle: "Sinterklaas knows me and my wish list." This way, people can buy the Sinterklaas gifts that truly excite the child and avoid potential mismatches.

For families, it’s a celebration when the book is delivered to their doors, but why do people without children or with a "no-no" sticker receive it?

The toy books sent by post have been delivered to addresses where, in all likelihood, children of the right age live. Unfortunately, this is not always accurate. We hope that in such cases, a nephew, niece, neighbour's child, or friend's child can be made happy with the book. A "no-no" sticker indicates that people do not wish to receive unaddressed mail. However, The Big Toy Book does contain an address. Customers who no longer wish to receive commercial mail from bol can indicate this in the bol app or via the website. Non-customers can do so through the Postfilter.

How are the children chosen to appear in the book each year?

They are selected through an open casting process, for which interested children can sign up. Based on these registrations, we invited a group of children for a selection day. Ultimately, 16 kids were chosen to shine in the book. In making our choice, we looked at their enthusiasm and interaction with the toys, as well as their personal stories, to create a diverse and relatable group that contributes to an inclusive experience for every child. The book leads the way in representing all children. Every child, regardless of their background or abilities, is given the chance to shine in the toy book. We receive many positive responses from parents who say their children finally see themselves represented in our advertisements.

All in all, with The Big Toy Book, bol aims to give families in the Netherlands a magical start to the Sinterklaas season, full of inspiration and interaction. We hope the book makes a special contribution to the festive season for young and old alike!