Boomerang Freecards

With rented tricycles full of map racks, the founders of Boomerang strolled along the cafés in Amsterdam and the other Dutch cities. "It was the spring of 1993. Everyone wanted such a rack on their wall", they remember on their website. Boomerang introduced freecards. "Our idea at the time was that advertising should be so nice that people would come and get it themselves from our racks." In the past three decades, Boomerang has grown into a cultural phenomenon and has evolved into an international media conglomerate. Boomerang gave the film postcard a new impulse. Here are 16 great examples of their film freecards.


Dutch postcard by Boomerang, Amsterdam. Photo: Al Pacino in Carlito's Way (Brian De Palma, 1993).


Dutch postcard by Boomerang Freecards, Amsterdam. Photo: Sharon Stone in Casino (Martin Scorsese, 1995).


Dutch postcard by Boomerang, no. P18-06. Photo: Frans Jansen / BNN. Sexy and exotic Katja Schuurman (1975) was one of the first soap stars of the Netherlands. She showed durability as a TV host and as an actress in many TV series and films.


Belgian postcard by Boomerang Free Cards. Photo: Warner Bros. Jim Carrey as Riddler in Batman Forever (Joel Schumacher, 1995).


Dutch postcard by Boomerang Freecards, Amsterdam. Nicole Kidman in The Portrait of a Lady (Jane Campion, 1996). Captions: I'm absolutely in love with you (front). After 'The Piano' the new film by Jane Campion.


British postcard by Boomerang Media. Photo: Paramount. Val Kilmer in The Saint (Philip Noyce, 1997).


British freecard by Boomerang. Winona Ryder in Girl, Interrupted (James Mangold, 1999). Captions: The crazy thing is, you're not crazy. Girl, Interrupted. Based on a true story. Opens March 24 at Cinemas across the country.

The Freecards phenomenon

Freecards are free postcards that are distributed in different ways. Some publishers distribute the cards via their own racks, which are hung up in hotels, restaurants, schools, gyms and/or on golf courses. Other publishers offer the cards through bookstores, cinemas, at events, or in (their own) shops.

The first publisher of freecards was Vanguardia in Spain in 1985. France followed in 1987, Italy in 1989, Denmark in 1990, Belgium and Sweden in 1991, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom in 1992, and the Netherlands and several other countries in 1993.

In the Netherlands, the freecards were initially published by Free Card and Take Art. But Boomerang took over, quickly followed by competitor Advertising Post.

The VDP (Vereniging Documentatie Prentbriefkaarten) has been busy from the beginning with documenting the released freecards in the Netherlands. In September 1994 the very first VDP freecard catalogue was published, containing all the Boomerang and Advertising Post cards released at that time. Since then the VDP and since 2003 the Boomerang Fanclub (BFC) releases a new freecard catalogue every year.


Dutch postcard by Boomerang, Amsterdam. Photo: Ray Christian / De Krom Studio. Artwork: Michiel van Randeraat / Locust Enterainment. Cas Jansen and Chantal Janzen in Volle Maan/Full Moon Party (Johan Nijenhuis, 2002).


British postcard by Boomerang Media Cards in the Best of British Quirky Traits series, no. 6, Humour. Photo: Jon Lyons. Tommy Cooper. Collection: Carla Bosch.


Dutch postcard by Boomerang. Photo: Amblin Entertainment / Columbia Pictures. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith in Men in Black II (Barry Sonnenfeld, 2002). Caption: Back in black.


Belgian postcard by Boomerang Free Cards, no. 1/4. Image: Marvel / Regency / 20th Century Fox. Ben Affleck in Daredevil (Mark Steven Johnson, 2003).


Dutch postcard by Boomerang Freecards for H & M, no. P 20-98. Gary Oldman.


Dutch postcard by Boomerang Studycards, Amsterdam, no. P08-03, 2003. Keanu Reeves in The Matrix Reloaded (Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski, 2003).


Belgian postcard by Boomerang.be. Image: Marvel / 20th Century Fox. Ioan Gruffudd as Mr. Fantastic / Reed Richards in Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (Tim Story, 2007). Caption: I have a fantastic thing to tell you.


Belgian postcard by Boomerang. Image: Disney / Pixar. The Incredibles (Brad Bird, 2004). Caption: Now on DVD!


British postcard in the 'Greatest' Series - Drunks by Boomerang. Photo: John Curtis / Rex. Oliver Reed.

Sources: Boomerang.nl (Dutch) and VDP (Dutch).