Although Americans will drop an estimated $20 billion this year on this special day, a significant increase from past years, the overcommercialized holiday is seeing some shifts in consumer activity. When introducing a holiday public relations campaign for your brand, keep your target audience top of mind. Younger Americans are cutting back on spending overall. However, where they are spending, they’re spending much more.
Here’s a selection of Valentine’s Day public relations campaigns that were a hit this year:
Savage x Fenty
Would it be Valentine’s Day without some sort of lingerie campaign? The inclusive lingerie line of music and fashion icon, Rihanna, has been stealing hearts left and right. This year, the famed V-Day collection turned heads and featured a show-stopping shoot with the celebrity herself. For a brand, such as Savage x Fenty, the use of Instagram stories and feeds can personify the Because the brand is focused on inclusivity and representation, the impact of this campaign achieved far-reaching impact.
WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo
Valentine’s Day isn’t for everyone. Those with a sour dating history had the unique opportunity to ‘Name a Snake’ after your ex. An eye-catching campaign name is one of the few ways you can count on your campaign reaching viral status. Keeping in mind the parameters of the campaign (it’s a competition raising money for the WILD LIFE Conservation Fund), Mark Connolly, General Manager at WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo says, “We hope that by providing someone unlucky in love the opportunity to name WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo’s very own brown snake after their ex, we can give them something else to celebrate on Valentine’s Day this year.”
Burger King x Tinder
Maybe an unlikely pairing, but we found this match up to be quite a match made in heaven. According to a survey issued by Tinder, nearly 40% of Generation Z (born mid-1990s to early 2000s) say the holiday means nothing to them. Burger King and Tinder decided to maximize on #singlesawarenessday and swipe right on the King for 1 cent Single Sourdough King burgers.
Petco Foundation
The annual “Love Changes Everything” public relations campaign is a partnership between Petco Foundation, WholeHeartedly and MUTTS. It raised $14 million in grant money to donate to more than 4,000 lifesaving organizations. This is special for each and every donor and valentine-writer because each Valentine submission is compiled to create the World’s Largest Virtual Valentine. It is then shared with shelter pets and their caretakers. Talk about a feel-good campaign!
