A black box. A sleeve that says, "Love at first bite." Chocolate hearts inside. Sent to 50 advertisers and agencies across the Dutch advertising industry.
No tracking pixel. No follow-up sequence. No email that knows you opened something at 09:14. Just a box. Just chocolate. Just a hello.
The reason we love physical gifts? There's no prediction of who you are. No algorithm deciding you're the right target. Just a box that showed up at your office, because if we're building a privacy-safe advertising ecosystem, the way we market Opt Out should reflect that too.
15 out of 50 people replied. That's 33.3%. A full third, not bad for a box with no strings attached.
Hi there! My name is Bo Pietersen. I joined Opt Out as Marketing Manager at the beginning of February 2026. Valentine's Day was right around the corner. So, what better way to kick off a new job than with chocolate?
My background is anything but traditional: I studied biomedical research, then worked at a chocolate cookie shop, where my marketing journey began. Unusual? Sure. But it taught me a lot: how to connect the dots quickly, spot patterns others miss, and try things others won't.
I always knew marketing was something for me, so I decided to pursue it.
When I came across Opt Out, something clicked. Most ad tech companies have a single privacy slide in their deck. Opt Out built its entire business around it.
No tracking, no profiling, no shortcuts.
Brands want performance. People want privacy. Regulators want compliance. Privacy-first advertising can deliver all three. That's not a compromise. That's a win-win. That's why I'm here: to make Opt Out the obvious choice.
And we mean that in the best way possible.
At Opt Out, we love surprising people. We've sent birthday gifts to people without knowing their birthdays. Not on their actual birthday. No calendar reminders, no dates marked in advance. Just a little “hello” out of nowhere, right when they least expect it.
The Valentine’s boxes come from that same spirit. They’re the B2B version of that same idea: same energy, same element of surprise. Just with more chocolate.
Over the coming months, we’ll be publishing a practical series on privacy- friendly advertising: cases, launches and honest takes.
First up:
- VVD: political advertising is changing; the old playbook is gone. How do you stay relevant?
- Guardener: We’re building something new. It’s worth the wait.
- Simyo: What does a privacy-first DSP feel like in practice? Simyo has thoughts, good ones.
These are just the tips of the iceberg.
Received a box? We hope you enjoyed the chocolate. No algorithms were involved in picking you.
And if you're thinking about how to stay effective while privacy expectations keep rising, I’d love to talk. Not a pitch. Just a real conversation about what that looks like for you.
Same invitation. Come say hi!
The future of advertising is more trustworthy, more sustainable, and still effective, because it’s built on systems people can consent to.
Sometimes that future starts with a big idea. Sometimes with a small box of chocolate.
