Valentine’s Day. It regularly divides opinion between celebrants and disbelievers, and it can be a hard line for brands to walk when it comes to marketing. Do you go extra mushy and risk alienating casual consumers? Or do you swing too far in the other direction and end up with a PR crisis on your hands?
Every year, there are some brands that don’t quite get it right. But there are also some who absolutely nail it.
So, what does it take to make a successful February 14th? We asked our team for their opinion on which Valentine’s marketing campaigns had them struck by Cupid (or just chuckling at their social media feeds).
Lush’s 2024 Valentine’s collection
Lush’s 2024 Valentine’s Day collection was inspired by all the different ways people show love, ‘whether it’s a grand gesture, a whimsical gift or even just offering someone a small kindness, like running them a bath.’ This campaign is everything we love about Lush: it’s mass market, it’s fun, and it’s an eco-friendly way to show love to both your bestie and your beau!
Jen, Digital Designer: “I remember thinking ‘oh they’ve got the tone just right’ and not ‘that makes me want to puke’!
Who Gives A Crap – ‘Flush your ex’
Burning the memories of an ex-flame is soooo 2004. These days, it’s all about turning their love letters, postcards and cinema date ticket stubs into recycled, eco-friendly toilet paper. Who Gives A Crap? Not jilted lovers, thanks to this brilliant campaign.
Jade, Digital PR: “Who Gives a crap always nail it!”
Greggs x Uber Eats’ ‘Bake Tray’
Five-star restaurant? Super expensive. Supermarket dine-in-for-two meal? Not special enough. A delicious tray of Greggs pastries, lovingly packaged in a limited-edition box and delivered to your door for only £10? *Swoon!*
Jen, Digital Designer: “Valentine’s is a really hard sell as the audience is men. Most of which don’t care. But this works as a product as it’s silly and funny and would get most of the men I know excited about buying something as they can have a joke with it.”
Tinder’s extra super-like campaign
Tinder gifted its users an extra free Super Like, every day for a week, to make the most of all the love in the air at Valentine’s Day. This gave potential lovebirds a better chance of matching – and offered free users a little taste of the Tinder Plus experience.
James, Business Development Manager: “There was clear brand alignment with Valentine’s Day and a dating app, with customers being ‘rewarded’ while simultaneously being encouraged to use the app more and potentially opening themselves up to further purchases.”
Businesswaste.co.uk – ‘Bin off your ex’
We’ve all got that friend who says ‘men are trash’ at every given opportunity. Businesswaste.co.uk turned the quip into a reality with their 2022 Valentine’s campaign which offered 50,000 people the chance to name a commercial wastebin after their ex (regardless of gender) and let the world know that their ex is, in fact, rubbish!
Alexandra, Senior Account Manager: “This company actually started the trend of naming something funny after your ex for Valentine’s Day, and it just so happens to be my previous company!”
RSPCA’s Ashford Garden Cattery – Love Stinks
Being alone on Valentine’s Day may make some singletons worried about becoming a crazy cat person. So why not be a crazy cat person who gets revenge on their ex? That’s exactly what one RSPCA branch offered jilted lovers in 2023.
Abbie, Marketing Manager: “While this may not be a unique idea, this one’s actually for a good cause and there’s nothing better than knowing that your ex is going to be pooped on forever. What’s even better is that, for a higher donation, the charity will put your ex’s name on the litter tray of a kitties with slightly more sensitive stomachs – which is brilliant marketing to be honest.”
So, what exactly makes a good Valentine’s campaign?
It seems a good-humoured, inclusive and well-intentioned comms strategy ticks all the right boxes! Whether it’s a limited-edition product run or inviting copy that allows consumers to take some pressure off the big day, these campaigns prove that a successful Valentine’s Day campaign can be much more than a bunch of roses and nicely-wrapped chocolate.
