Valentine’s Day is upon us, which means physical stores, e-commerce listings, and certainly your email inbox have been flooded with hearts and roses, shrouded in pinks, reds, and every shade in between.
I must admit, I am a sucker for the generic design of Valentine’s Day. I’ve seen plenty of videos and social media ads showcasing companies’ new romantic ranges, and I have been wrestling with the overconsumption gods about whether I need a new pink fluffy blanket, or if I actually can live without another candle just because it’s in a heart-print jar.
But if I’m being honest, the new ranges released by the major supermarkets and home interest stores all look the same, and I couldn’t tell you what specific products each one is selling, despite consuming plenty of content relating to these seasonal items over the past few weeks.
Valentine’s Day has become so commercialised and saturated that traditional campaigns struggle to stand out anymore. They blend into the background noise of a thousand other brands doing the same thing.
Despite this, Valentine’s Day is still a massive commercial opportunity. The market is huge, and consumers are genuinely looking for ways to celebrate (or not celebrate). In order to stand out in a world of hearts, bows, and mushy slogans, is to think beyond the clichés, and recognise that love, romance, and February 14th mean very different things to different people.
The business of Valentine’s Day
In 2024, estimated spending on Valentine’s Day totalled £2.1 billion in the UK alone. In 2025, 47% of consumers bought gifts, spending an average of £102.40, up 5% YoY. Valentine’s Day represents a genuine commercial opportunity, but the way that people choose to spend is changing.
Not everyone is celebrating romantic love with a partner: 62% of 16-34-year-olds choose to buy something for themselves for Valentine’s Day, and 68% of single women celebrate Galentine’s Day (the friendship variation of the holiday). The market may be huge, but it’s also diverse. Many are celebrating friendship, self-love, or actively rejecting the holiday altogether.
Mastering Valentine’s Day marketing in the modern day
Brands don’t need to completely ditch the generic pink hearts marketing style, but there are several factors to keep in mind to capture the evolving Valentine’s Day market.
Appeal to forgotten demographics
Traditional Valentine’s marketing focuses almost exclusively on romantic couples. But what about everyone else? Plenty of single people avoid the holiday entirely, and then there are the anti-romance cynics, and those who simply find the holiday overwhelming. Brands that create campaigns for these demographics aren’t just being inclusive – they’re accessing audiences that traditional campaigns completely ignore.
The 62% of 16-34-year-olds who buy something for themselves for Valentine’s Day is significant. Self-love messaging positions brands as supportive rather than exploitative, suggesting that treating yourself is just as valid as buying gifts for others (amen to that!). This approach works particularly well with younger audiences who are more likely to prioritise self-care and mental wellbeing over traditional romantic gestures.
Tap into humour and/or relatability
Breaking up, being single, or disliking traditional Valentine’s Day celebrations are universally relatable experiences, but humour can diffuse the emotional weight. Self-aware, tongue-in-cheek marketing resonates because it acknowledges reality rather than selling a fantasy that a large demographic doesn’t relate to.
Stand out in a saturated market
When every brand is doing hearts, roses, and red and pink colour schemes, traditional campaigns blend together into an indistinguishable sea of romantic clichés.
In marketing, doing the exact opposite can sometimes have the strongest effect. Anti-Valentine’s and alternative campaigns are inherently more shareable on social media due to their novelty and humour. They work especially well with younger audiences and social-first consumers.
Don’t reinforce unrealistic expectations
With social media influencers promoting elaborate gifts and extravagant dates, many people feel pressure to measure up. Brands have set unrealistic expectations for what Valentine’s Day ‘should’ look like, and now Valentine’s Day shopping has become a stressful situation for many.
Low-pressure alternative campaigns work because they acknowledge that love doesn’t have to be expensive or performative. They give people permission to opt out of traditional expectations without feeling guilty, focusing on authentic celebration rather than obligation, which is what the holiday should truly be about.
Unique Valentine’s Campaigns
For some inspiration, here are some of my favourite out-of-the-box Valentine’s Day campaigns that stand as great examples of my above points.
Quit bugging me – El Paso Zoo
How can you twist the lovey-dovey romance of Valentine’s Day into a campaign that appeals to anyone not feeling these sorts of emotions? El Paso Zoo concocted a brilliantly dark campaign, offering people the chance to name a cockroach, slug, or cricket after anyone that’s been bugging them – ex-partner, family member, co-worker, etc. – which would then be fed to meerkats on February 14th. It’s morbid, it’s funny, and it’s exactly the kind of cathartic release that someone feeling very anti-Valentine’s Day might appreciate.
V-Day dumpster stay – Hotels.com
Hotels.com invited users to visit a dedicated webpage and write about why their ex deserved a vacation in a dumpster, sending out a fictional, yet satisfying booking confirmation for the dumpster stay. All entries were automatically submitted into a competition to win a $300 Hotels.com gift card.
Leaning into the anti-Valentine’s messaging, the campaign positions travel and self-care as the antidote to heartbreak, promoting the idea that sometimes the best thing you can do is get away. It’s also inherently shareable, giving people a fun way to complain about their terrible past relationships while potentially winning something.
Third wheel Kevin – Deliveroo
Deliveroo’s campaign targeted the feeling of loneliness on Valentine’s Day. Specifically focusing on the “third wheel” experience, the campaign aimed to connect with single people who are surrounded by couples during the holiday. The campaign featured a single character named Kevin who was shown to experience awkward, lonely moments while hanging out with couples on Valentine’s Day.
Deliveroo introduced a “Third Wheel Meal Deal,” allowing couples to order a free meal for their single friend to include them in their February 14th takeaway. The campaign offered an alternative to typical romance-focused marketing, capturing a real, often unspoken emotion. Unlike similar campaigns, it didn’t push a need to perform some grand gesture of self-love; it simply says, “We see you. Here’s something small that might make today a bit better.” That kind of empathy-driven marketing builds real brand loyalty.
Speed dating – Ford
What do a Ford Mustang and Valentine’s Day have in common? Not much. Unless your blind date offers you a lift home in her new Ford Mustang, I guess.
Ford hired a stunt driver and sent her on multiple blind dates with unsuspecting men. After offering them a lift home, she took them to an empty car park to show off some high-performance driving manoeuvres, all while continuing the usual first date small talk.
The resulting video went viral on YouTube, displaying the new Ford Mustang in action. The campaign worked because it was entertaining first and an ad second. People watched and shared it because it was fun, not because they were in the market for a car, but this memorable, exciting campaign definitely became part of many viewers’ brand perception.
Share a Coke – Coca-Cola
While Coca-Cola followed a more traditional approach, its Valentine’s Day campaign “Share a Coke” saw the launch of personalised bottles with names, encouraging consumers to share with loved ones.
The key to success here was in making it personal and participatory. They didn’t just slap a heart on a bottle and call it a day; they created an interactive experience. The campaign worked because it was about connection, not just romance. You could share a Coke with a partner, a friend, a family member, or anyone who mattered to you. It broadened the appeal beyond couples while still feeling appropriate for Valentine’s Day.
Marketing the modern Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day marketing success no longer requires following the traditional playbook. Brands that dare to be different often create more memorable, shareable, and effective campaigns that resonate with modern consumers’ evolving attitudes.
The best marketing doesn’t tell you how to feel; it meets you where you are and makes you feel seen. And maybe, just maybe, that involves feeding a cockroach to a meerkat.