The Loden Leeuw (Lead Lion) award is handed out to the most annoying adverts in the Netherlands from the past 12 months, with 2020’s nominees featuring child-like adults, a man who marries his saw, and memory foam mattresses.
The Lion has been awarded to (un)lucky winners by the TV programme Radar every year since its inception in 2002. Previous winners include Albert Heijn and Ali B (2017), and Zalando and Patricia Paay (2012).
This year, over 100.000 votes were cast, with German confectionery company Haribo taking home the big prize with 39 percent of the vote. This is the second year in a row that the company has won the title, but unlike in 2019, Haribo refused to accept their 2020 award.
The Haribo advert beat a commercial by Hornbach that featured a man falling in love and marrying his saw (which won 19 percent of the vote), and a commercial for Decupré in which two women discuss memory foam mattresses (18,9 percent).
On top of the award for the most annoying ad, the Loden Leeuw also celebrates the most annoying celebrity of the year. This year, reality TV star Martien Meiland took home the trophy for his role in the advertisement campaign for the Vriendenloterij Bingo. Meiland won a whopping 45 percent of the votes, beating Andy van der Meijde for his role in the TOTO adverts, and Paul Haenen who featured in the Pricewise adverts.
Unlike Haribo, Meiland was happy to take part in the ceremony: “I am very proud of [the trophy], and it will be placed next to my Televizier Ring." Back in October, the star won the Golden Televizier Ring for Talent of the Year.