The Best Valentine’s Day Marketing Campaigns and Ideas to Try

Valentine's Day is associated with strong emotions such as love, romance, and affection which prompt people to purchase gifts, cards, flowers, chocolates, and other tokens of affection for their loved ones.

Brands leverage these emotions to boost sales and increase engagement with their target audience. They offer promotions and discounts to attract customers to their products or services.

According to a National Retail Federation (NRF) survey, consumers plan to spend 25.8 billion to celebrate Valentine's Day in 2024. 62% of the biggest spenders are couples aged 25-34.

With this focused demographic, you can tailor your campaigns specifically to those likely to make purchases during this time. Let’s explore some of the best Valentine's Day marketing campaigns. 

These campaigns leveraged the opportunity to incorporate seasonal themes into their promotions through product packaging, user-generated content, and special offers, making them the best  Valentine's Day marketing success stories.

The Best Valentine’s Day Marketing Campaigns Ever

The following are the top Valentine's Day campaigns in the last few years — including 2024! We're going to look at each campaign and why they stood out.

1. Target Exclusive 40-ounce Tumblers – Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup Valentine's Day promotion at Target has generated a major buzz and demand among lovers of reusable water bottles.

Target stores nationwide offered a limited-edition Stanley Cup tumbler as part of Stanley's “Galentine's Connection” collection. The popularity of these tumblers drew in huge crowds, especially Stanley fans eagerly seeking to purchase them. The promo resulted in quick sell out across all stores.

@victoria_robino_26 #fyp #fypシ゚viral #target #targetfinds #stanleycup #stanley #stanleytarget #valentinesday #stanleyvalentinesday ♬ original sound – Victoria Robino

The Target-exclusive Valentine's Day 40-ounce tumblers were so popular that they're literally flying off the selves both in-store and online.

The limited availability of the exclusive tumblers fueled the success of this campaign. With trending TikTok and Instagram social media posts of buyers rushing to grab a bottle, the cup gained attention globally.

2. Tyson – Chicken Nugget Bouquet Contest

The Chicken Nugget Bouquet Contest was a Valentine's Day-themed marketing campaign that was run by Tyson Foods, Inc.

The user-generated content (UGC) campaign gave participants the chance to win a $10,000 prize and a year's supply of Tyson chicken nuggets.

Participants were invited to enter the contest by sharing a photo on X (formerly Twitter), with the hashtag #nuggetbouquetcontest, of a bouquet made of chicken nuggets. The contest, joined by thousands of participants, was successful; it generated excitement about the contest among their followers.

UGC is a genius way to increase social engagement and gain loyal customers for the brand. Participants who interacted with the brand through the contest will most likely become customers of the product in the future.

3. Lancome – Valentine's Day Love Calendar

The Lancôme Valentine's Day Love Calendar is a clever marketing campaign that effectively capitalized on the anticipation and excitement surrounding Valentine's Day.

The campaign promoted a gift set that contained 14 beauty products, including lotions, fragrances, and make-up. The set was aimed at making the product more appealing to buyers seeking a luxurious Valentine's Day gift for themselves or their loved ones.

The campaign was very successful and has since been repeated every Valentine's Day. The success can be attributed to the fact that it's a limited edition product that included a diverse selection of luxe items in an attractive and eye-catching design.

4. The BodyShop – Sending a Kiss

Not everyone celebrates Valentine’s day with a romantic partner; some prefer to celebrate love on that day with their female best friends.

The Body Shop Sending a Kiss campaign capitalized on this by encouraging their followers to post a selfie of themselves blowing a kiss to their best friend and tagging them in the hashtag.

Participants who joined get a chance to win a set of lipsticks for themselves and their best friends.  

Through this campaign, The Body Shop created brand awareness among participants and increased their social media engagement on Instagram.

Inclusive messaging by encouraging those celebrating with a partner, friend, or family member, to participate in and enjoy the campaign, strengthened The Body Shop's appeal to a broader audience on social media.

5. Enrich Beauty – Put Yourself First

The “Put Yourself First” Valentine's Day marketing campaign by Enrich Beauty was an emotionally impactful initiative encouraging self-love and self-care among its audience.

The 2023 campaign centered around a video where Enrich Beauty interviewed people, asking them to mention who they love. Each interviewee provided a list of people they love,  including family members, friends, or romantic partners.

After each interviewee lists the people they love, the interviewer would then ask, “Why not you?” 

None of the interviewees mentioned themselves in the list of people they love. Upon realizing that, they gasped and became emotional.

The campaign's message resonated strongly with Enrich Beauty's target audience and resulted in a lot of bookings for a self-pamper day.

Here are some of their responses to the campaign:

6. Tinder and Spotify – Valentine's Day Playlist

The collaboration between Spotify and Tinder for the Valentine's Day playlist campaign aimed to enhance the dating experience by connecting individuals with similar music tastes.

Spotify curated a special Valentine's Day playlist that featured top musicians like Taylor Swift, Megan Thee Stallion, Billie Eilish, and more. The playlist included a mix of romantic and popular songs fit for the holiday.

Users who opted into the campaign could connect their Spotify accounts with their Tinder profiles. This provided potential matches with ideas of their musical preferences.

With the Spotify integration, Tinder profiles were enhanced with conversation starters based on shared music interests.

The campaign aimed to boost user activity and interaction for both Spotify and Tinder to drive increased engagement for both of the brands.

7. Who Gives a Crap – Flush Your Ex

As a marketer, you can decide to deliberately go against the crowd depending on the nature of your product or service.

The “Flush Your Ex ” campaign by the toilet paper brand Who Gives a Crap is a good example of an anti-Valentine's Day initiative aimed at individuals who are not celebrating the holiday in a traditional romantic way.

The campaign encouraged participants to rid themselves of reminders of past relationships by “flushing” their exes' love messages.

Participants are invited to mail in their exes' love letters which will then be transformed into toilet paper by the brand.

Who Gives a Crap taps into a niche market of anti-Valentine and single people. They  provide an alternative and humorous way to “celebrate” the holiday.

The campaign gained so much popularity in 2023 that Who Gives a Crap has decided to repeat it in 2024.

8. MeUndies – Match Me

The “Match Me” campaign by MeUndies was created to increase visibility on social media and generate buzz around their Valentine's Day collection.

MeUndies launched a special Valentine's Day collection of fun, romantic, and comfortable matching underwear and pajamas for couples.

They encouraged their followers to participate by posting pictures of themselves wearing the matching sets with their partners.

The campaign was initially aimed at couples but MeUndies embraced inclusivity by welcoming participation from individuals without romantic partners. This expanded the campaign's reach and allowed people to participate regardless of their relationship status.

Some participants even posted pictures with their pets.

MeUndies then collected these user-generated photos and used them to create an album on their website dedicated to the “Match Me” campaign.

9.  Tobelerone – Be More Thoughtful

Chocolate is the most bought gift on Valentine’s with over $1 billion going into chocolate purchase alone.

The Toblerone chocolate campaign encouraged gifters to be more thoughtful when giving Valentine's Day gifts.

The campaign included a video advertisement that showcased disappointed recipients getting lackluster gifts.  It targets individuals who may be unsure of what to give their loved ones and suggests Toblerone chocolate as a thoughtful and appreciated gift option. Afterall, giving chocolates wouldn’t go amiss.

10. Hotels.com – V-Day Dumpster Stay Campaign

The “Dumpster Staycation” campaign by Hotels.com was an anti-Valentine's Day marketing strategy targeted at those not celebrating the holiday.

Hotels.com encouraged participants to book a “dumpster staycation” for their ex-partner.

Participants were instructed to visit the Hotels.com website and follow the prompts to book a “dumpster staycation” for their ex.

After completing the booking, participants received a confirmation email from Hotels.com containing details of the “dumpster staycation.” The email served as proof of participation in the campaign and included information about the giveaway prize. 

They won a $300 Hotels.com credit for their next getaway.

The campaign generated engagement and interaction with the Hotels.com brand as participants booked “dumpster staycations” and shared their experiences on social media.

11. Pandora – Little Acts of Love

“Pandora Little Acts of Love” was a 2022 Valentine's Day campaign by Pandora, the renowned jewelry brand. The campaign was aimed at promoting and celebrating small, meaningful gestures of love and kindness.

The campaign encouraged individuals to express their affection and appreciation through simple acts of love, such as buying thoughtful jewelry pieces, offering a kind word, or spending quality time with loved ones.

12. Gucci – Love Story Zine

We still remember the unique approach Gucci’s Love Zine took in their 2022 Valentine’s Day campaign. The brand collaborated with Ariana Papademetropoulos, a Los Angeles-based visual artist, to create a limited-edition zine dubbed “A Love Story Presented by Gucci.”

The zine showcased a graphic novella-inspired series of collages, using low-tech graphics that narrated a tale of love and romance. The campaign presented diverse styles and collections of Gucci outfits, fusing artistry and luxury.

They invited their audiences to check out the zine and experience romance and enchantment during Valentine's Day.

Today, Valentine’s Day campaigns have to be mindful and authentic to be relatable. Marketers are continually adding fresh twists and current lingo to their campaigns to create a lasting impression.

Here are a few winning Valentine’s Day campaigns for 2024:

13. Krispy Kreme – Dough Notes

The 2024 Krispy Kreme Valentine's Day Campaign is dubbed Dough Notes.

In this campaign, Krispy Kreme are offering various box sets of heart-shaped donuts with different romantic notes.

For example:

• You Color My World
• Without You, I Crumble
• You're Berry Sweet
• I Love You A-Choco-Lot
• You Color My World

They're promoting the campaign through their social media channels and fans are excited about getting the packages before they run out.

Here are some of the comments on their Instagram page:

Seasonal packaging is a good idea for a Valentine's Day campaign and Krispy Kreme nailed it based on consumer response on social media. 

14. Sweethearts – Situationships

The “Situationships” campaign by Sweethearts is one of the most captivating Valentine's Day campaigns in 2024. It's a clever and humorous marketing initiative aimed at individuals who are single or not in formal relationships, particularly during the Valentine's Day season.

The campaign capitalizes on the modern dating trend of “situationships,” which refers to relationships that are not clearly defined or labeled. For example, casual dating, friends with benefits, or other non-committal connections. 

The  brand released a special edition box of candies named “Situationships.” These candies feature blurred love messages that reflect the uncertainty often associated with situationships.

By tapping into this trend, Sweethearts creates a relatable and humorous campaign that resonates well with its target audience.

Acknowledging and embracing the diversity of relationship statuses sets Sweethearts apart and ensures that its messaging is inclusive and relevant to a wide audience, regardless of their romantic situation.

The product is a major hit and the candies have already sold out twice before Valentine's Day.

15. Manscaped – Performance Package

The Performance Package by Manscaped is a 2024 Valentine's Day marketing campaign aimed at women purchasing grooming products as gifts for their male partners.

The campaign features a range of grooming accessories with cheeky names and naughty innuendos, designed to add humor and playfulness to the gift-giving experience. 

Manscaped is promoting the Performance Package through YouTube with a link to the product page in the description.

Manscaped aims to increase brand awareness, drive product sales, and strengthen customer loyalty with the strategy.

Got Some Inspiration for Your Valentine’s Day Marketing Campaign?

As Valentine's Day approaches, brands around will be competing for sales, brand awareness, and an increase in their social media engagement.

To stand out you must come up with a creative initiative that aligns with your brand and resonates with your target audience.

The campaigns we've captured have been successful because they were memorable and relevant to each brand and its interpretation of the holiday.

What is your take on Valentine's Day marketing? Let me know with a comment below.