The Dutch company J.W. Attema & Co started importing De Zwaluw brand matches from Sweden into the Netherlands in 1895. Dutch consumers have been buying De Zwaluw matches for over 100 years. De Zwaluw is a well-known brand of matches in the Netherlands and represents quality, warmth, light, tradition and safety.
The Dutch company J.W. Attema & Co started importing De Zwaluw brand matches from Sweden into the Netherlands in 1895. At that time, De Zwaluw was produced in the Uddevalla match factory in Sweden.
The importer in Amsterdam wanted a unique logo for the Dutch market and decided to use a swallow for the matchstick brand. The De Zwaluw (the Swallow) brand was born. Consumers also refer to the brand as SAFETY MATCHES.
The four languages on the matchbox are part of De Zwaluw’s rich history. Due to its success in the Netherlands, the brand has been exported all over the world, with a focus on West Africa. The brand is still available in Sierra Leone, Gambia, Singapore and Bermuda, but the Dutch market is by far De Zwaluw’s most loyal market, and the brand has become a household name in the Netherlands.
The four medals on the top of the matchbox symbolize the rich history of the brand. They are awards that De Zwaluw has won for the superior quality of its matches. In the 20th century, before the advent of disposable lighters, there were international trade fairs for the matches industry. Zwaluw received a medal for the market’s best matches on four occasions.
In the Netherlands, generation after generation has grown up with the red, yellow and black matchboxes from Uddevalla on their kitchen table. Up until a few years ago, the manufacturer wanted to give the matchboxes a 21st century makeover. But Swedish Match later admitted that “Changing the design of the matchbox wasn’t such a good idea.” People often buy Zwaluw matches out of habit. They know it’s a good choice, usually because the iconic matchbox was already a standard when they were growing up. However, many consumers no longer recognized their trusted brand in a new design.
The trusted packaging is once again available in stores. The design features a beautifully stylized reproduction of the label from 1914 that only differs from the Zwaluw original in a few minor details.
Dutch consumers have been buying De Zwaluw matches for over 100 years. De Zwaluw is a well-known brand of matches in the Netherlands and the swallow represents quality, warmth, light, tradition and safety.