In the period known as 'Holland-Mania', American trade and industry gratefully used the market value of the word and the concept of 'Holland'. Nineteenth-century American writers, travellers and artists who had been there helped to give this concept its attractive connotations. From their reports and their imagination an image was born that even today stimulates the American fantasy.

This image consisted mostly of clean-washed, tough, pipe-smoking Volendam fishermen or rural characters from the Veluwe (in the east of the country). The depicted imaginary Dutchmen were put in a landscape full of cows, tulips and windmills. Thus they developed into icons of cleanliness, solidity and reliability. These in particular were the concepts that had to make cleaning products, cacao, alcoholic beverages etc. attractive to American consumers.

On packaging and in adverts 'typically Dutch' images started to appear, even when there was only a very weak link between the product and the depicted scene. In an advert for elegant ladies' footwear for instance, a picture of a milkmaid in clogs could be found. Why? Not because clogs were the most comfortable of shoes, but because the fresh, clean and cheerful milkmaid presented such a strong image. An image that the consumer would easily remember.

The gin distillery of Erven Lucas Bols in Amsterdam made use of the fact that in 1575 their first production facilities were located on Rozengracht (a canal in Amsterdam). Believe it or not, but the famous painter Rembrandt once had a studio on that very same canal, the distiller announced. Thus suggesting that the quality of their product was comparable with that of their 'neighbour' Rembrandt.