Once a Christian holiday honouring St Valentine, modern-day Valentine’s Day has strayed pretty far from its origins.
Held each year on 14 February, Valentine’s Day is now a celebration of all things love and romance.
Well, so it seems. It is also a day of shopping and gifting, making it one of the biggest days in the marketing calendar, with brands vying for consumers’ attention.
We’ve rounded up our favourite offerings from this year’s selection.
Moonpig
Moonpig’s adorable mascot is back in this 30-second spot, featuring the cute piglet strutting down the street showcasing love-themed memorabilia and personalised messages.
The campaign was devised by Modern Agency.
Morrisons
Morrisons Valentine’s offering transforms customers’ romantic “missteps” into bespoke love songs.
Featuring three original tracks – ‘Dine in for 2, for my Honey Boo’, ‘Oh baby let me buy you a strawberry tart,’ and ‘Nothing says I love you like a giant cookie’ – this ad is fresh and fun. The tracks highlight a time when a Valentine’s gift just missed the mark.
It also unveiled ‘Personal Dedication’, a campaign film showcasing another Valentine’s Day mishap. In this spot, Michael apologises to his partner Marion after gifting her a bin last year.
The campaign was devised by creative agency Leo Burnett.
Ikea
Ever wanted to take a date to Ikea? Well now’s your chance.
In this campaign, the Swedish furniture and homeware chain partnered with dating app Breeze to give daters the chance to win a date at an Ikea store.
The lucky couples were selected based on their sleep compatibility, looking at preferences such as mattress firmness, temperature, and duvet thickness.
Subscribe to Marketing Beat for free
Sign up here to get the latest agency-related news sent straight to your inbox each morning
Ann Summers x Knorr
In what is probably the strangest marketing stunt this Valentine’s Day, Ann Summers has teamed up with stock pot maker Knorr to offer an ‘aphrodisiac’ stock pot with a secret ingredient.
What is the secret ingredient you may ask? No, it’s not love but it may be just as cliché – it is cooking together.
The stock was available at Ann Summer’s Marble Arch store from 7 February. It was also added to online orders as a small Valentine’s Day gift.
Knorr also partnered with celebrity maître d’ Fred Siriex who shared his top three tips on how to cook up the perfect Valentine’s Day feast.
Allwyn
National Lottery operator, Allwyn, has created a campaign for its Euro millions draw, taking place on Valentine’s Day.
The draw, which will make 14 lucky people millionaires, offers players the chance to be entered into an additional draw to win a trip to the Maldives.
Devised by VCCP and Allwyn’s in-house Creative Hub, the campaign runs across radio, video-on-demand, social, online, digital display, out-of-home, digital, and in-store.
Attractionstickets.com
And in an anti-Valentine’s Day ad, attractiontickets.com offers jilted lovers the chance to name a “barf bag” after their worst ex.
Participants will be offered a certificate of pettiness to display proudly.
For anyone who may want to take part, visit the ticket operator’s website, submit your ex’s first name, and enjoy the results.
