The climax of our industry is approaching: the Dutch Search Awards 2025 (DSA) are coming up. This is the stage where the very best digital cases in the Netherlands are weighed by an independent professional jury.
We are incredibly proud to share that Hide and Seek has been nominated three times this year!
Together with our client MatchWornShirt, we have demonstrated how to merge creativity, data architecture, and smart technology into an international formula for growth. MatchWornShirt auctions match-worn football shirts from over 250 clubs worldwide. The challenge? Every shirt is unique, the auction lasts only a few days, and the fan’s emotion is fleeting.
“It’s the first time everything clicks, from data to design to decision-making.” — MatchWornShirt
Below you can read why the jury of the Dutch Search Awards has awarded our approach in three different categories, and why we believe that ‘standard’ campaigns no longer work in 2025.
Best Creative-First Campaign: Hyper-relevance on a Global Scale
The Challenge
In an international market, “one-size-fits-all” content no longer suffices. Previously, it was impossible to manually create unique visuals for every match, every player, and every language without an army of designers. Designers spent days adjusting hundreds of files that were often already outdated by the time of publication. As a result, campaigns often missed the personal connection needed for conversion.
Our Strategy
We believe that creativity must be scalable. Instead of manual labor, we developed an automated creative framework. Our designers focus on the concept and brand experience, while our technology handles the execution via smart templates. We built a system that translates real-time match signals into thousands of unique ads. Does a player score? Then the ad content changes instantly.
The Result
By treating creation not as an ‘image’ but as a data point, relevance skyrocketed. This led to a 25% increase in Click-Through Rate (CTR) and a significant reduction in Cost Per Acquisition (CPA). We proved that automation doesn’t kill the brand experience, but rather brings it to life.
Example of an ad in Meta Ads. The ad is composed of various dynamic elements and is shown to relevant users based on the data. The background is customized for the Champions League.
Best System Integration: A Foundation of 100% Clean Data
The Challenge
Many marketing teams steer their budgets based on incomplete data. In this case, too, data from the app, website, and CRM lived on “isolated islands”, causing nearly 30% of conversions to remain invisible to ad platforms. As a result, Google and Meta didn’t see the full picture, leading to inefficient bidding.
Our Strategy
Before optimizing budgets, we optimize the infrastructure. We broke down the silos by building a central data architecture that acts as a ‘single source of truth’. Through advanced server-side tracking and custom API integrations, we now feed ad platform algorithms with enriched, first-party data. We don’t steer on what the platform thinks is happening, but on what is actually happening.
The Result
From data gaps to 98% tracking accuracy between app and web. Because the algorithms are now fed with high-quality data, ROAS (Return On Ad Spend) increased by 20%. Proof that technical ingenuity is the foundation of marketing profit.
Best Social Advertising Campaign: Winning at the Moment of Truth
The Challenge
In football, everything revolves around emotion and timing. A fan wants their idol’s shirt immediately after the final whistle. With thousands of unique items constantly changing, manually managing campaigns is an impossible task.
Our Strategy
We combined the innovations above into one powerful Full-Funnel Engine. Our approach goes beyond standard targeting. We developed a methodology that stabilizes the volatility of auctions (short durations) for Meta’s algorithms. This allows the system to learn faster, enabling us to go live with hyper-relevant ads within minutes after a match, exactly when fan emotion peaks.
The Result
While we significantly scaled up volume (+71% more bids), we managed to lower the Cost Per Result (CPA) by 41%. This demonstrates that with the right technical setup, you can drive volume without sacrificing efficiency.
What Does This Mean for Your Brand?
Of course, we are proud of the nominations. But they primarily tell an important story about how we work. At Hide and Seek, we don’t believe in tricks, but in fundamental solutions that work for the long term.
- We build systems, not loose campaigns: We ensure your tech stack is ready for the future.
- We connect creativity and data: No separate departments, but one integrated approach.
- We steer on business results: Clicks are nice, but measurable growth and clean data are better.
Whether you are struggling with complex data streams, want to scale internationally, or need to organize your campaigns smarter: we have the expertise to turn your challenge into a success case.
Curious how we can apply our “Best of Class” expertise to your goals?
Stop by for a coffee and a good conversation about your ambitions for the rest of 2025 and beyond.