Valentine's Day marketing: creative campaigns to make your heart sing

Still looking for ideas for your Valentine's Day campaign? We have investigated a few campaigns from industry colleagues in recent years. Let them inspire you!

Zalando killed two birds with one stone in 2021: with the caampaign to "exchange the clothes from your ex", they showed customers that not everything has to be rosy on the day of love. At the same time, the online giant drew attention to its Prewowned campaign, where you can hand in clothes you've already worn, and thus set an example for sustainability, which we know is becoming increasingly important for customers.  

Hotels.com took a slightly different approach to the customary day of love than you might expect, asking users to visit the "V-Day Dumpster Stay" website and explain why their ex should go on vacation in a trash can. The stories were entered into a competition to win a gift card worth 300 US dollars on the platform.  

Dunkin' Donuts used Instagram's story function for a quiz in which participants could win a promo code. They had to prove their knowledge of the fast food chain in an entertaining way. If they were successful, they could save money on their favorite products.  

Do you have matching Valentine's Day items in store and want your customers to take them home? Target did it cleverly in 2022 and showed customers what to put in their shopping carts for Valentine's Day. A short haul like this is easy to produce and highlights individual products well.  

Source: Etsy

In the past, Etsy's love and support wasn't just for lovers, but also for the online platform's sales community. For example, a ready-made graphic was offered that sellers could use to advertise their Valentine's Day products on social media. The whole thing could also be combined with the hashtag #MakeItMeaningful to redirect people to the Etsy store. The campaign's aim was to attract customers' attention and strengthen the sense of community in the e-commerce community.  

Why only at Christmas? That's what the cosmetics company Lancôme thought and has been launching an Advent calendar for Valentine's Day for a few years now. In 2023, 14 surprises with a selection of Lancôme products were also on the program from 1 to 14 February.  

Coca-Cola has released a limited edition of bottles in the past. For Valentine's Day, it was all about love and the bottles featured sayings such as "You are my other half" and "Love is in the air". 

If you want to do something good for your customers on this day and attract attention in other ways, here are a few quick tips from us:  

• Wrap gifts beautifully: 

Offer special Valentine's Day gift wrapping. Both in-store and online, this option can make all the difference. 

• Give the gift of shipping:  

Give your customers* the gift of shipping costs - either on selected products or for a specific period around Valentine's Day.  

• Save together: 

Offer a 'couple's discount' if both partners shop with you. This is not only an incentive to buy, but also promotes a shared shopping experience. 

• Digital affection: 

Create virtual Valentine's Day cards that your customers can send online with every order. This gives the gift a personal touch. 

• Collect stories: 

Invite your customers to share their love stories. You could present the best ones in a blog or newsletter and reward them with a voucher.