Dutch Candy: The Many Faces of Ecstasy
When the NYC-based design agency Gretel presented Netflix with its proposal for a new logo—now an iconic piece of modern design—they likely showcased it in traditional applications: business cards, office signage, letterhead. It’s safe to assume, however, that a pressed ecstasy pill was not among their examples. Yet, in 2022, tens or even hundreds of thousands of red-and-white Netflix-branded ecstasy pills entered the market. Safe to say, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos had nothing to do with it.
The world of ecstasy production is one of unsanctioned design, misappropriated logos, and a keen awareness of cultural trends. It’s a fascinating, under-the-radar exploration of the power of marketing and branding—even as it goes unnoticed by most users.
With the Netherlands producing nearly 80% of the world’s ecstasy, it’s fitting that Dutch Candy is an Amsterdam-based project. In the summer of 2022, we began photographing pills. Each has a street value of just a few euros, and we captured them with specialized equipment worth nearly €60,000. These photographs represent the highest-resolution macro images of ecstasy pills ever taken, reflecting our belief that ecstasy branding deserves a closer look.
Every logo imaginable has been stolen and pressed into ecstasy pills. From a branding perspective, ecstasy is unique within the black market. While cocaine users expect a consistent appearance for their drug of choice, ecstasy users are often delighted by MDMA delivered in pills shaped like Hello Kitty or other whimsical designs. Ironically, this makes ecstasy an unfiltered marketplace for branding—a fascinating phenomenon.
Branding in the Shadows
In ecstasy production, a pill’s design serves three primary purposes:
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Memorability: A unique appearance and name make a generic product distinct, allowing users to remember, refer to, and recommend it.
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Professionalism: A detailed, well-made design signals care and quality, encouraging users to trust that the same level of attention extends to the pill’s chemical contents.
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Cool Factor: Just like shoes, watches, or branded merchandise, aesthetic appeal sells. In a market of indistinguishable chemicals, producers use design to connect with cultural trends and stand out.
Ironically, the principles of branding in ecstasy production mirror those of any legitimate business. But in this underground world, clout is free. There are no trademarks or copyrights to consider, and brands like Netflix have little recourse against shadowy drug producers.
Here, branding is a testament to cultural relevance. For a logo to appear on an ecstasy pill suggests the brand has “made it” in the cultural zeitgeist. This makes Dutch Candy more than just a glimpse into illicit design; it’s a window into the culture at large. Each pill tells a story of its origin and the cultural moment it reflects.
The Craft of Pill Design
Designing an ecstasy pill is no small feat. Dies and molds, machined from stainless steel, create intricate details measured in fractions of millimeters. Producers often invest in custom designs for orders of 10,000 pills or more—a staggering figure until you consider the estimated 250 million pills consumed worldwide annually. The sheer volume of designs submitted for laboratory testing or shared on user review sites highlights the constant churn of creativity in this underground market. This is a world of branding that, like some ecstasy users, never seems to sleep.
Beyond the Surface
The fleeting moments users spend examining a pill in a dimly lit club contrast starkly with the effort invested in its creation. Users often associate their experiences—good or bad—with the specific “brand” of pill they consumed. Over time, these designs become markers of trust or disappointment, influencing recommendations and repeat purchases.
But the risks of counterfeit production loom large. During this project, we encountered five different designs of the Punisher pill alone, with variations in chemical content that could range from 202mg to a staggering 477mg of MDMA. Such discrepancies underscore the dangers of assuming consistency based solely on design.
Raising Questions, Not Answers
Dutch Candy doesn’t condone or condemn ecstasy use. Instead, it asks questions about the role of branding in black-market marketing. How does an 8mm Netflix logo give users confidence in a producer’s product? What drives the immense care and attention devoted to these designs? And what does this say about the broader cultural influence of branding?
By presenting these pills in unprecedented detail, Dutch Candy invites viewers to see them in a new light. To reflect on the design choices, the cultural moments they capture, and the risks inherent in their use. In doing so, we hope to spark curiosity and inspire deeper conversations about the interplay between branding, culture, and the underground economy.