Our favourite Valentines marketing campaigns of recent years
Love is in the air: Our favourite Valentine’s day marketing campaigns of recent years.
We’re feeling all loved up here at ThinkOTB, as this week we’re looking at some of the best Valentine’s marketing campaigns…
It’s here again, the most romantic day of the year. Although St. Valentine’s Day may have changed in appearance from its 5th century Christian celebration, the modern tradition has a history all of its own. From cards and chocolates to flowers and festivities, marketing has become key in the weeks running up to the celebration. This week, ThinkOTB takes a look at some of the best recent Valentine’s Day marketing campaigns.
A Coca Cola Valentine:
Coca Cola is well known for its creativity-filled marketing around the world. Its Share a Coke campaign which saw strategy ranging from names on every bottle to a Coca Cola can which could, quite literally, be split in two and shared with a loved one. Valentine’s Day 2013 continued Coca Cola’s phenomenal marketing run with a beautifully simple campaign to mark the occasion.
A Coca Cola Valentine was another instant hit. It showed Coke cans floating on a bundle of red balloons being caught by loved-up couples across the city. We were captured by how visually stunning this ad is. It also continued Coca Cola’s long-standing ability to create an emotional connection with the brand. The video quickly went viral and achieved over a quarter million views on YouTube. Another successful seasonal campaign for one of the world’s biggest name in marketing.
Google, Parisian Love:
Paris is frequently voted the most romantic city in the world. The city is an advertisers dream when seeking to create a romantic marketing campaign. Yet in 2009 Google did the almost unthinkable – they created a romance-filled advert, set in Paris, without showing a single shot of the iconic French city! Google’s Parisian Love actually first aired in November 2009. Since then, it has received over 7 million YouTube hits. It had to make the list of best Valentine’s-inspired marketing!
The video charts the development of a romance across the world. The invisible protagonist is seen Googling chocolate shops, jobs and then churches in Paris as their romance blossoms via the internet. Bold, intelligent and romantic in equal measures, Google’s Parisian Love is one of the most-shared romantic videos of all time.
Heineken:
Dutch company Heineken is well-known for its masculine connotations. It’s an international lager of choice and Heineken Cup rugby sponsor. In keeping with its roots, Heineken’s approach to Valentine’s Day Marketing has focused on the often forgotten party to Valentine’s Day; men. In a celebration that is often centred on women or typically romantic notions of love, Heineken has taken a different approach by adding humour and fun into their marketing.
Last year saw Heineken’s Date in a Box campaign. It offered those who had forgotten to make Valentine’s plans the chance to redeem themselves by winning a mystery date for two. The condition? Sharing your date with the world via social media site Instagram. Despite directly addressing the female in the relationship in its advert, the focus of Heineken on alternative attitudes to Valentine’s Day is clearly seeking to attract its traditionally male consumer. It also cleverly added a hint of comedy into the Valentine’s Day equation.
Do you have a favourite Valentine’s advert? Why not tweet us at @otbtweeter and let us know which marketing campaign got your heart racing! Our team of passionate creatives are also available to talk about your next marketing campaign, just get in touch.
