Valentine’s Day is all about love, and adland loves an opportunity to sell. That said, this year the best Valentine’s campaigns have taken a step away from the obvious and taken new approaches to mark the occasion.
From clever activations that build on people increasingly staying in on February 14, to motorbikers ready to save you from bad dates, and unique, atypical food combinations – marketers have readied their Cupidian arrows for shooting this Valentine’s Day.
Marketing Beat picks our top six campaigns that will woo you regardless of your sentiments on the occasion.
‘Krakentine’s Date Escape’ – Kraken Rum
While Valentine’s is supposed to be about finding love and connection, Kraken Rum has explored the darker side of the coin in its 2024 campaign.
To the tune of Monster Mash, an accompanying biker-style spot showcases the brand’s ‘date escape’ service, which allows people in unfortunate and dangerous dating situations to be whisked away by a leather-clad biker and taken to The Bike Shed in Shoreditch, where they can access free rum cocktails.
To make use of the service, daters just need to send an SOS message detailing their name, location and desired extraction time to The Kraken.
Waitrose Valentine’s Day amplification
Waitrose has launched an integrated campaign to strike Cupid’s bow at the heart of supermarket shoppers.
The attractive displays highlight the upmarket supermarket’s £20 Dine In deal, which includes a starter, main course, wine and dessert.
It is accompanied by a range of bespoke content, including a free cook-along to show couples how to make the perfect Valentine’s steak dish.
OOH and press advertising campaigns from Saatchi and Saatchi highlight how ‘Staying In Has Never Looked So Good’, and there’s even an accompanying Spotify playlist for the enamoured.
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‘The Break Up’ – Carwow
Carwow’s new campaign subverts the classic Valentine’s message by instead spotlighting the benefits of breaking up from relationships that have had their time. Namely, your old car.
It highlights the light-hearted reasons why motorists might sell an old car, from the allure of moving onto better things to simply a change in lifestyle.
The playful creative also showcases the company’s new rebrand, which has been rolling out across Meta, YouTube, PMax and OOH across major transport hubs.
Tips for the messy – Dolmio
Valentine’s Day is often used as an opportunity to market an image of perfection.
However, by tapping into TikToker and dating expert Jacob Lucas and highlighting the problems posed by messy foods like the nation’s favourite dish spaghetti – Dolmio offers something up for those who do not feel so Instagram friendly.
Mars Food and Nutrition spokesperson Giulia Somma said: “With more people having dinner dates at home, we wanted to encourage singles to always enjoy the dishes they love even when trying to impress.
“Whilst spag bol is the nation’s most home-cooked dish, it’s also been voted as one of the messiest date foods – so hopefully daters can now cook, serve and eat with confidence.”
Heinz ‘Tomacaron’
Heinz has collaborated with French brand Fauchon to launch a new joint product which combines macarons from the high-end pastry specialist with the distinct flavour of Heinz ketchup.
It seems a bizarre combination, but isn’t love about two unique individuals coming together?
Agency for Nature
Last but not least, non-profit firms Glimpse and Purpose Disruptors came together to launch an ‘Agency for Nature’ initiative to coincide with Valentine’s Day.
The unique concepts have been produced by creatives from top agencies including Wieden+Kennedy, The&Partnership, Leo Burnett and Oliver.
Spanning a range of concepts from an eco-kamasutra to focusing on the relationship between gaming and nature, and nature within gaming, as well as the need to drop hustle culture, the campaigns inspire Gen Z to rekindle its love of nature.
