4 Valentine’s campaigns we’re loving this year
While not quite as visceral as feeding a bug named after your ex to a big lizard, Who Gives A Crap turning love letters into toilet paper is just as entertaining.
A Valentine’s campaign can either be really, really good, or the cringiest thing you’ve ever set eyes on. At least, that’s how it used to be.
Now, (most) brands are becoming more inventive and innovative when it comes to advertising around the romantic day. Here’s a few of the best we’ve found this year.
Valentine’s campaign #1: Get ready to get petty
Sustainable toilet paper brand, Who Gives A Crap, has brought back its annual Valentine’s campaign ‘Flush your ex’. Send them all the love letters from your ex(es) and they’ll turn them into toilet paper! If you have no physical letters, there’s nothing stopping you from printing off the cringe DMs your ex sent you while trying to get you back.
This campaign is akin to what zoos all over the world do every Valentine’s – letting you name a cockroach, worm or other insect after your ex. You can then watch in glee as it’s promptly fed to a predator animal.
While not quite as visceral as feeding a bug named after your ex to a big lizard, Who Gives A Crap turning love letters into toilet paper is just as entertaining.
This is a nice change of pace – not excessively Valentine’s-y but not completely run-of-the-mill either.
Valentine’s campaign #2: Museum meet-cutes
Everyone loves a meet-cute, me included, and now the London Museum is setting up its very own just in time for Valentine’s Day. Sort of. You have to enter the competition as a pair, but it’s still cute.
If you win, you’ll have access to the Museum vaults and other behind-the-scenes stuff – very romantic if you’re into history (or if you just really love the Night at the Museum films). I enjoy both these things and, actually, this is the only campaign I’ve seen this year that would have me seriously considering taking part.
It’s an inclusive competition – you don’t even have to be a couple to enter. If you’re single you can take a single friend with you and do something cool while all your other friends have dull dinner plans.
Valentine’s campaign #3: Gucci gang
Gucci has taken a romantic approach to selling luxury items. Shot by photographer Tina Barney, the campaign showcases authentic portraits of real families and couples. With strategically placed Gucci products, obviously.
This is a nice change of pace – not excessively Valentine’s-y but not completely run-of-the-mill either. The photos are staged rather than candid, although that doesn’t take away from the intimacy portrayed in them.
The campaign also has videos, featuring personal stories from the subjects of the photos. You can find them all on Gucci’s YouTube and TikTok pages.
While it’s probably not going to convince me to buy any Gucci products, this is probably my favourite campaign I’ve seen this year.
Valentine’s campaign #4: Love at first light
Every year, there’s a decidedly non-romantic brand that tries to shoe-horn Valentine’s into a campaign. But this time, we’re letting them off.
The execution may be just a little weird – the text at the top in mismatched fonts, the fact that this is a company that makes fancy handles and switches, and the fact that there’s not even a discount; they just want you to buy light switches.
But the pun is so audacious that I’d take a look even though I don’t need any light switches.
If you’d like us to cast a curious eye over your Valentine’s comms, get in touch with the team.
