Valentine’s Day 2023 – The ads we’ve fallen in love with this year

How you feel about February 14^th is going to depend on a few important factors, including your relationship status and general levels of cynicism. For advertisers, however, it represents the second holy grail of the month (the first being The Super Bowl) and an excuse to jump enthusiastically on the Valentine’s bandwagon.

Of course, it doesn’t make sense for all brands to celebrate the season. It makes sense for Durex, for example, but does it make sense for B&Q? Some might argue that it opens the floor for irreverence and humour, but the most effective Valentine’s ads have always been those that stick to their guns as far as the basic tenets of the day are concerned.

With that in mind, I’ll be casting my critical eye over some of the Valentine’s Day ads launched this week to mark the “most romantic day of the year” for 2023. Because, let’s be honest, we could all use a little more love right now.

The Leith Agency – Hanx

Let’s start with something painful. This year, condom brand Hanx decided to broach a topic that rarely gets mentioned in mainstream media – the condition of vaginismus. Essentially the female version of erectile dysfunction (though admittedly not as common, with just 2 in every 1000 women suffering from it), it’s a condition that can make sex and even using tampons incredibly painful.

I won’t go into any further detail as to say I’m unqualified to comment would be a gross understatement. However, it’s encouraging that a brand that probably views Valentine’s Day as its Christmas is using its platform to shine a light on a condition millions of people are not even aware of. The series of straight-talking billboards and social ads are remarkably frank but that’s what makes them so effective.

La Vie

La Vie, the UK’s favourite plant-based bacon, is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a declaration of love to… meat. The brand’s latest OOH campaign encourages consumers everywhere to ‘break-up’ with meat on February 14th to truly make a change to our planet. Being a brand that supports everyone no matter their diet choices, La Vie is bringing what is often considered a taboo subject to the surface in a light-hearted manner.

The vegan bacon brand is determined to spread its message loud and clear as it takes to the streets of London. The brand will be using an ad-bike to comically deliver the break-up letter across the city, stopping outside some of the capital’s infamous meat hotspots. And to top it all off, La Vie will be handing out flowers and 5,000 units of its famously delicious meat-free smokey bacon. Definitely a welcome tongue-in-cheek approach.

Zulu Alpha Kilo – Pizza Pizza 

While other restaurants are spending February 14th celebrating couples, Canadian chain Pizza Pizza is launching their new ‘Singles for Singles’ program, offering a free single slice of cheese or pepperoni pizza to any guest who identifies as single. To top it off, Pizza Pizza is also going single by changing their name to “Pizza” for one day only.

Singles can go in restaurant to claim their free cheese or pepperoni slice on February 14th from 6-9pm at five select locations across the country. They only need to show the Pizza Pizza app on their phone. A neat idea but one that seems to forget one crucial thing – how exactly are you supposed to prove that you’re single? I’m a happily married man but I certainly wouldn’t be above telling a few porky pies for a free slice of pizza!

The Kraken Rum

This Valentine’s Day The Kraken Rum has an alternative offering: the world’s first seaweed bouquets. While bouquets made of kombu kelp and egg wrack from the Irish Sea don’t fit the traditional notions of floral romantic gesture, this stunning seaweed arrangement, brought to life by renowned florists Rebel Rebel will give any traditional Valentine’s bouquet a run for its money. 

The seaweed bouquets can be ordered online and arrive to the door as a finish at home kit - for recipients to arrange the salty selection into the ultimate gesture of algae-themed affection. Each box shipped by The Kraken Rum will also contain miniature bottles of Kraken Rum and ingredients for a seaweed cocktail to make this the tastiest arts and crafts session of the season. I love how on-brand this concept is and I’m honestly gutted I found out about it too late.

Courage – CIBC

What’s more aromatic than finance right? This campaign for Canadian bank CIBC is engineered around the fact that money is one of the top reasons for divorce. The Financial Conversation Hearts are a neat twist on the Love Hearts sweets, but instead of classic sayings like: 'UR CUTE' and 'KISS ME', they’ve created ones designed to get couples talking about money. With phrases like 'SHOW ME YOUR TFSA' and 'R U INVESTED?', these playful confectionaries point out the important financial conversations most partners tend to avoid. 

The creative was developed by the bank’s new agency, Courage, who saw an opportunity to further establish CIBC’s new Real Talk platform. “You don’t really expect to hear from a bank on the most romantic day of the year”, says Domenique Raso, creative director at Courage. “But this felt like a natural way to become part of the conversation, while offering a fresh take on the traditional love messaging we’re used to hearing today.” 

Sex Brand

Sex is dying. For the first time in history, we’re having sex less than once a week. The busyness of modern life, dating apps, social media, exposure to porn and societal pressures has taken its toll. The biggest problem of our time is the death of our oldest pleasure. This Valentine’s Day, marks the launch of SEX BRAND, who are on a mission to save sex with openness, confidence and education that teaches great sex as well as safe sex.

So, in this distracted, difficult, complicated time we live in, sex can save us. Not only that, but with sustainable condoms made from regenerative rubber, sex can save the world. So, isn’t time we saved sex. These vegan condoms are available on subscription and made using a pioneering and fully transparent sustainable source of rubber, part of the Regenerative Rubber Initiative and will feature the UK’s first-ever fully recyclable PET condom foil. Getting laid to save the world? Sign me up!

GUT Los Angeles – DoorDash

You were all waiting on the token ad that made a joke about masturbation right? Well, here you go. This Valentine’s Day, the DoorDash delivery app is promoting self-love with the launch of its 'Self-Love Bouquet,' featuring 11 fresh flowers and one Rose, the TikTok-viral, critics-approved, and famous sex toy. This unique bouquet, created in partnership with creative independent ad agency GUT Los Angeles, reimagines the traditional Valentine’s Day bouquet to champion self-love.

I’m not going to add anything more here, just watch the video.