Sadly, most of us don’t want to talk about our love lives over dinner. But if you’re a marketer, you might be interested in merging the most lovey-dovey of days with your marketing campaigns. Companies have discovered some cutesy ways to exploit the mushy feelings that Valentine’s Day inspires. If you don’t have a marketing campaign planned for Valentine’s Day, maybe some of these will inspire you. 

Ranch Dressing’s Customized Bottle

As far as Valentine’s Day goes, how about giving your partner a bottle of Ranch Dressing? In 2021, while some companies were using flower bouquets to promote their Valentine’s Day products, Hidden Valley took a different approach: custom-made bottles of Ranch salad dressing. Yes, we know. Ranch dressing is a polarizing condiment in this country. But if you’re one of the half of Americans who just love to give everything you eat a bath in it, Hidden Valley has your back. This gift is funny and potentially useful to those who receive it. 

1-800 Flowers’ Cupid Commercial

In 2019, 1-800 Flowers launched a commercial where Cupid voiced his concerns about being put out of a job by the company. In the ad, which features a shirtless Cupid complaining that no one needs his services anymore because of 1-800 Flowers, he says, “Ever since 1-800 Flowers, I’ve been out of a job!” With Cupid still complaining, the video shows screenshots of 1-800 Flowers’ website, with beautiful flowers on display. The ad shows Cupid as a disgruntled young man, complaining about how his competition is one-upping him. As he complains, he and the 1-800 Flowers representative are shown to be able to schedule their delivery service in such a way that it is both quick and painless.  This ad is a great example of how a brand can use its competitive advantage to tell a fictional story about what makes its product different.