The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

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Valentine's 2014: Show your love for this year's romantic efforts from brands, agencies and more

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By Gillian West, Social media manager

February 14, 2014 | 27 min read

It's that time of year we all go a bit mushy, yes Cupid is out with his bow and arrow once more, it's Valentine's Day.

This year The Drum has been inundated with brands, agencies and more wanting to be our Valentine. We love them all and couldn't possibly pick a favourite, so we'll leave that up to you.

Have a browse of this year's romantic campaigns and tell us which one's won your heart by hitting 'Like', we'll gift the winner with a £25 Google Play voucher.

UPDATE: Congratulations to Mischief PR! Wilkinson Sword's 'Beards for Bouquets' has been chosen as our Valentine. Thanks to everyone who voted, and to all the entrants don't be too upset The Drum loves all of you.

Morrisons - Roses

Brand: MorrisonsTitle(s): RosesAgency: DLKW LoweAgency Website: http://www.dlkwlowe.com/

Total Fitness - #TFDateNight

Brand: Total FitnessTitle(s):#TFDateNightWhy this campaign should be our Valentine: Because everyone knows that flowers and a movie suck and the best way to get close to someone is on a sweaty date at the gym!Our #TFDateNight pack offers a free guest pass for two, workout suggestions to get hearts racing and a recipe for a post gym protein boost,Sign up to #TFDateNight through our Facebook app. (We won’t even tell your date it’s free!) https://a.pgtb.me/fwkQdKLeading up to the big day, Total Fitness will be posting #TFDateNight suggestions on its Facebook page, including appetizing aphrodisiacs and exercise suggestions including ‘cute glutes’ or ‘cupid’s crunches’ to tie into the theme.Total Fitness launched its local social media strategy in Sept 2013 and has built up a community of 11,000 local fans across all 16 of its club pages. Content is sourced and written by its gym staff making it as relevant and live as possible for its members.

evian - I Love You Like

Brand: evianTitle(s): I Love You LikeAgency: We Are Social, London, UKAgency website: http://wearesocial.netCreative Director: James Nester, Graham JenksCopywriter: Marissa DaviesIllustrator: Andrea TamboriniAccount Directors: Deola Laniyan, Amy HambridgeWhy this campaign should be our Valentine: We love this campaign like a client loves KPIs. After just one day it's had nearly quarter of a million Twitter impressions thanks to all the retweets and fans using the hashtag. Fans have even started inventing their own 'Love you Likes'.

NECCO - Tweethearts

Tweethearts from NECCO on Vimeo.

Brand: TweetheartsAgency: NECCO – New England Confectionary Company Inc. Why this campaign should be our Valentine: All you need to do is tweet your love note to @tweethearts, confirm you’re happy with how they look and fill in your sweethearts name and address and once you’ve paid for them, viola, personalised candy hearts for the one you love.

Kraken Rum - Think Ink: Black Roses florist

Brand: Kraken RumTitle(s): Think Ink – Black Roses floristAgency: Miss Cakehead PRAgency Website: www.misscakehead.comWhy this campaign should be our Valentine: The pop-up florist forms part of The Kraken Rum’s KRAKEN VERSUS CUPID campaign, by macabre and infamous Miss Cakehead. Found in Kingley Court, just off Carnaby Street, London, the Think Ink florist is open for one day only - 14 February 2014 - offering a range of black floral options in return for a voluntary donation to the Project Redsand charity.The black roses for sale are created by placing dark red roses in vases filled with a Kraken’s ink in place of water. This ink is then transported up the stem, via the xylem, to the leaves and petals turning them black, a scientific process that will also be showcased in the space. For dramatic effect some of the flowers will also be turned black using special floristry dyes. There are no naturally black flowers - a truly black flower is as mysterious and alluring as a Kraken – with the endangered very dark crimson Turkish Halfeti roses the closest nature can offer. However the bouquets will also feature Calendula Lily Eclips and Queen of the Night Tulips, both darkest purple in colour looking visually black to the human eye. Kept fresh in pools of black ink, the flowers all come with a miniature bottle of 5cl Kraken Rum, available in the UK from Summer 2014. Currently Kraken Rum is only available in 70cl bottles.

Church End Brewery - Love Potion

Brand: Church End BreweryHeadline copy and text (in English): Love Potion. The 4.7 ABV Valentine’s Ale – Unleash the StudAgency: RBHAgency Website: http://www.rbh.co.uk/Creative Directors: Stuart Jackson, Mike KalinIllustrator: Pixel Smash

Notegraphy - Love Kills

Brand: NotegraphyTitle(s): Love KillsAgency: Notegraphy, Barcelona, SpainAgency website: http://notegraphy.comCreative Director: Rafa SotoArt Director: David Acevedo, Maria Berga, Alvaro JimenezCopywriter: Rapha Montenegro, Carlos J NavarroIllustrator: Gabriel CostaAdditional credits: Diego Lafuente, Daniel GonzalezWhy this campaign should be our Valentine: In our daily lives we are bombarded by warnings: when you smoke, drink alcohol, skydive, drink hot coffee, butter cakes, cross the street...but nobody warns you when you fall in love.

LOVE - 28 Days of LOVE

Brand: LOVE. Title(s): 28 Days of LOVE.Agency: LOVE. Creative, Manchester, United KingdomAgency website: http://storiesbylove.comExecutive Creative Director: Dave PalmerCreative Director: Mike HughesArt Director: Jim ChambersCopywriter: Patrick HarveyIllustrator: Dave AndersonProduction Manager: Dani HawleyPhotographer: Tom CockramAdditional credits: Dave Anderson represented by Pocko, t-shirt printing by Applique Apparel and shrink-wrapping by Pro Pack.Why this campaign should be our Valentine: This campaign should be your Valentine because who better to spread the love than an agency that's got love right there, in their name. Love Creative's '28 Days of Love' illustrations reflect some weird and wonderful insights into the theme of love, however it may manifest. We also hope they brought a smile to your face throughout the month of February.

Aldi - Valentine’s Flowers

Brand: AldiTitle(s): Valentine’s FlowersAgency: McCann ManchesterAgency Website: http://www.mccannmanchester.com/

GAME - GAME On Underwear

Brand: GAME Title(s): GAME On UnderwearAgency: MHP Communications, LondonAgency website: http://www.mhpc.com/brand Creative Director: Mark PerkinsArt Director: Emma JonesPhotographer: Nigel DaviesWhy this campaign should be our Valentine: The perfect Valentine’s accessory has been created by retailer GAME for gaming widows and widowers – GAME On undies - a range of pheromone fuelled underwear to help them tempt their loved ones back into the bedroom.This comes as research from GAME reveals that this Valentine’s Day one in four gamers (23 per cent) admit they will be tempted to slip away for a ‘console quickie’ – unable to resist the urge of a few snatched moments of Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto V behind their partner’s back. That’s why GAME has decided to take the unprecedented step of calling gamers to go easy on the gaming for one night of the year. To help the cause, it has launched the limited-edition underwear for partners who want to have their own buttons pushed.

Carswell Gould - Creative Dates

Brand: Carswell Gould Title(s): Creative Dates Agency: Carswell Gould Agency Website:http: carswellgould.co.ukCreative Director: Ed GouldArt Director: Tom McLeanCopywriter: Laura Downton Photographer: Jacques GilhamWhy this campaign should be our Valentine: ‘Creative Dates’ ties in to Valentine’s Day and aims to increase engagement with the Southampton-based agency by asking potential clients to vote for which member of staff they would most like to go on a creative date with.The agency, which incorporates PR, design, web, social media, advertising and marketing, launched the campaign after research showed one of the key attributes its clients value is the creative experience they get when meeting with the agency.Creative Dates centres around a standalone website, coded by Carswell Gould’s in-house team of web developers who have worked on projects for the likes of Baileys and Martha Lane Fox’s Go On UK campaign.On the site, visitors are urged to watch the agency’s very own ‘dating video’ before voting their ideal creative partner.In doing so, they are able to claim a free consultancy session (also known as a ‘creative date’) with the award-winning agency.In true Carswell Gould style an integrated campaign is being rolled out to bring visitors to the site. A creative print advert features in regional business press and social media activity will point towards the site over coming weeks. Potential clients received Valentine’s cards on February 14, created by the agency’s in-house designers and pointing them to the website.

Ann Summers - Happy Ann Summers Day

Brand: Ann SummersTitle(s): Happy Ann Summers DayAgency: Ann Summers in-house Photographer: Jonathan Hordle @Rex FeaturesWhy this campaign should be our Valentine: Innovative, disruptive campaign designed to encourage the customer take a stand against bad Valentine’s gifts and communicate the Ann Summers Day message. Tongue-in-cheek activity caused a stir on the streets of London, with projections and ‘clean’ street stencils placed in high footfall areas and near other Valentine’s competitors on the high-street, as well as outside media houses to encourage conversation and discussion.

International HIV/AIDS Alliance - Come Together

Brand: International HIV/AIDS AllianceTitle(s): Come TogetherAgency Bluefrog, London, UKAgency website: http://www.bluefroglondon.comCreative Director: Simon LaneArt Director: Simon LaneCopywriter: Charles RivingtonPhotographer: Joerg BrusendorfWhy this campaign should be our Valentine: Doing good has never felt like this before.The brief was to create a campaign that would introduce the work of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance to a wider audience, and encourage donors to give money that could help to put a stop to the spread of HIV.The ad itself marks the climax of the global Valentine’s Day fundraising campaign by International HIV / AIDS Alliance to highlight importance of safe, protected sex and of HIV prevention, treatment and care services for everyone, no matter what their sexuality.We decided to steer clear of the scaremongering that one often sees in AIDS charity ads and instead focus on celebrating the joys of great, safe sex – drawing attention to the work the International HIV/AIDS Alliance does to help people all over the world get access to contraception and sexual health information, and raise awareness of the HIV epidemic that has fallen off the media agenda in recent years. We also wanted to showcase people of all different ages, races and sexual identities to celebrate the many diverse and wonderful forms that great, safe sex can take.If donors give £20 or more, they can opt to receive a special thank you – The Come Together Box, which has everything they need to celebrate magnificent, mind-blowing and safe sex with their partner.https://www.wecometogether.org/

Freeview - Valendines TV Dinner

Brand: FreeviewTitle(s): Valendines TV DinnerAgency: MHP Communications, LondonAgency website: http://www.mhpc.com/brand Creative Director: Mark PerkinsArt Director: Chris GodfreyPhotographer: Nigel DaviesWhy this campaign should be our Valentine: The ultimate innovation for the one-in-four couples who are planning to stay in together this Valentine’s Day – or maybe for those alone – for a date with their favourite TV shows. The Valendines TV Dinner is the first all-in-one, three course, heart-shaped ready meal that comes complete with its own candle.The creation is courtesy of Freeview following research on the role TV plays in relationships – with 60 per cent of Brits saying they just want someone to snuggle up with in front of the box. On a night when many people find themselves paying over the odds for a meal out, the Valendines was created to celebrate the stay-at-home Brits who’ll indulge in their favourite TV shows with a like-minded partner – underlying the Freeview message ‘Entertainment is better when it’s free’.

Bowker MINI - "If loving a MINI Convertible is wrong - I don’t want to be right!" Photo Love Story

Brand: Bowker MINITitle(s): “If loving a MINI Convertible is wrong - I don’t want to be right!” Photo Love StoryAgency: The Buzz Factory, Preston, LancashireAgency website: http://www.thebuzzfactory.co.ukCreative Director: Richard GlynnArt Director: Richard GlynnCopywriter: The Buzz FactoryIllustrator: The Buzz FactoryPhotographer: The Buzz FactoryAdditional credits: Staff models Graham McMurray, Simon Collinson and Chris Reid.Group Marketing Manager: Amy Uphill Bowker Marketing Executive: Chloe BowkerWhy this campaign should be our Valentine: A budget-stretching integrated campaign featuring a strong creative, Facebook advertising and public relations.It was great fun to do. And after just half the campaign, The Bowker MINI Facebook page has already doubled its engagement figures compared with typical weeks. Reach has quadrupled. And Page Likes have increased by at a rate of over 700 per cent compared usual levels. The feedback from customers has been amazing. A great example of how authentic, fun and creative communication - with our tongue placed firmly in our cheek - can help deliver real rigorous statistically-proven benefits for the client.

notonthehighstreet.com - Love Your Story

Brand: notonthehighstreet.com Title(s): Love Your Story Media Agency: M2MAgency Website: http://www.m2mmedia.com/ Content: Delivered via Rockabox Shutters platform Video online distribution: Rockabox For more information: http://rockabox.com/news/. Why should this campaign be our Valentine?: The campaign is based around nine real couples with real love stories, the #LoveYourStory campaign starts off with videos of the nine love stories which you can select, and then prompts users to complete a quiz to find out ‘what type of romantic’ they are. The great part of it then is how the videos and the quiz are linked to the online store. After finishing the quiz, the user is then promoted to shop for gifts specific to their romance type. Types ranging from Practical Romantic to Seasonal Romantic and many more. The campaign also has great opportunities for social sharing and demonstrates how to engage with consumers and create a personalised online experience.

Durex Embrace Pleasure Gels - The Embrace Light & Dance Show

Brand: Durex Embrace Pleasure GelsTitle(s): “The Embrace” Light & Dance ShowAgency: Virgo Consumer Health & Wellbeing, Richmond, EnglandAgency website: http://virgohealth.com/virgo_consumer_health.htmlAdditional credits: Allium (http://www.allium.co/)Why this campaign should be our Valentine: Durex Embrace Pleasure Gels will be staging “The Embrace” – the ultimate experience to bring couples closer and connect this Valentine’s.London’s skyline will be lit up with one of the city’s largest light shows to celebrate the most romantic night of the year.On the evening of 13 February on the South Bank, skyscraper-height purple and pink light beams will be ‘dancing’ to iconic love songs and drawing lovers in to feel warm and tingly – just like the experience of using New Durex Embrace Pleasure Gels.There will also be surprises in store with flashmobs of sensual dancers and the chance to win an array of Valentine’s goodies from meals in the finest restaurants to luxury weekends away. Couples can share their messages of love by Tweeting #DurexEmbrace to see their message displayed in lights at the event.

Wilkinson Sword - Beards for Bouquets

Brand: Wilkinson SwordTitle(s): Beards for Bouquets Agency: Mischief PR, London Agency website: http://www.mischiefpr.com/ Creative Director: Simon Moore (Mischief PR) Photographer: Rex Additional credits: Social: FerefSet Build: SeTwoPromotional Staffing: Kru LiveWhy this campaign should be our Valentine: Fun and cheeky way to bring out the Wilkinson Sword brand personality in an interactive way at a high footfall area. This experiential activity will reward men with blooms of flowers to give a loved one on Valentine’s Day in return of their facial hair.

MINI - Handwritten love notes

Brand: MINITitle(s): Valentine's Love NotesAgency: iris WorldwideAgency Website: http://www.iris-worldwide.comWhy this campaign should be our Valentine: If you are the lucky recipient of a Valentine's Day card this Friday, don't get too excited… it might actually be for your car! MINI owners from all across the UK are finding cards on their windscreens this Valentine's Day - but it is the cars that are receiving all the compliments: "Grrr. You've got us hot under the bonnet". Cards are appearing on MINIs across the country. To find out more/ to upload a picture of your MINI's Valentine's Day card visit facebook.com/MINI.uk or Twitter.com/MINIUK. #MINIPhwoar. MINI's handwritten love notes will include the following killer chat-up lines: If we said you had beautiful bodywork, would you hold it against us?Are you low on petrol? You’ve been driving through my mind all day.Roses are redViolets are blueWe’re rubbish at poemsNice MINI.

Virgin Holidays - Wolf Whistling email

Brand: Virgin HolidaysTitle(s): Wolf Whistling emailAgency: LIDA Agency Website: http://www.lida.com/desktop/Art director: Alan MackieCopywriter: Michael PooleAdditional Credits: Designer: David AppiahWhy this campaign should be our Valentine?: The email offers holidaymakers deals to the USA and the Caribbean, prior to Valentine’s Day. So customers can surprise their partner (or themselves) with the ultimate Valentine’s gift – a Virgin Holiday. The creative proposition is in line with the brand’s award-winning ‘Unleash your Mojo’ campaign, created by LIDA and M&C Saatchi and launched last year.The creative, developed by LIDA, rolled out on Wednesday 12 February, driving brand engagement and giving its audience a ‘Mojo’ boost, taking them from feeling ‘good’ to ‘great.’ The subject of the email sassily states: “We want to proposition you” followed by the cheeky headline: “This probably won’t be the first offer you get this Valentine’s.” The main body, written in a tongue-in-cheek style is set to further flatter its readers by explaining, “…we can’t resist making you a romantic offer (or should we say offers). Well you are irresistible. And honestly, the thought of you somewhere exotic, well let’s just say we can hear the wolf whistles from here.”

Elizabeth Shaw - Perfect Match Quiz

Brand: Elizabeth ShawTitle(s): Perfect Match QuizAgency: The Real Adventure, Bristol, UK Agency website: http://www.realadventure.co.ukCreative Director: Ian BatesArt Director: John AndersonCopywriter: Choi KellyIllustrator: Luke Bailey BrownAdditional credits: Planning: Audrey MigotDevelopment: Alan Sutherland, Mat Robertson, Testing: Sarah DewarWhy this campaign should be our Valentine: Everybody wants to feel that that their partner knows them really well. Even more so around Valentines Day! The Perfect Match quiz and competition, to win a romantic weekend for two, drives engagement with our key audience, but by looping in their partner we can let them know about their partners love of Elizabeth Shaw just before Valentine’s Day. They can share their result on Facebook and tell their friends if they are a perfect match.

Metro Trains - Dumb Ways to Valentine

Brand: Metro TrainsTitle(s): Dumb Ways to ValentineAgency: McCann Australia Agency Website: http://www.mccann.com.au/

Samsung - Samsung Valentine's, Westfield, Stratford City

Brand: SamsungTitle(s): Samsung Valentine's, Westfield, Stratford CityAgency: The One OffAgency Website: http://www.theoneoff.comWhy this campaign should be our Valentine: Love it in the air at the Samsung Experience store, Westfield, Stratford City! Briefed by Samsung to create a Valentines campaign that added warmth to the Experience store through focusing on the customer experience, The One Off created a multi-sensory campaign including a romantic valentines music playlist, scented red roses throughout the store, vibrant t-shirts for store staff and heart shaped chocolates for customers to sweeten their retail experience. In the windows, oversized tags added warmth and humor to hero products through playful copy that underpinned key features, whilst In store, impactful clusters of over sized balloons and ribbons added height, colour and texture. A dynamic ‘Love from Samsung’ animation brought the campaign to life across the impressive Samsung TV screens, featuring gently falling rose petals that revealed the campaign message and promotion of the day.

Orange International - The Flower

Brand: Orange InternationalTitle(s): The FlowerAgency: Marcel, Paris, FranceAgency website: http://www.marcelww.com/ Creative Directors : Anne De Maupeou, Steve O’LearyArt Director: Souen Le VanCopywriter: Antonin JacquotIllustrator: Scott BensonAdditional credits: Chief Creative Officer: Anne de Maupeou Executive Creative Director: Steve O’Leary Worldwide Account Director: Cecile Lejeune Account Management: Stephane Pellegrini, Celine Fraquelli, Samira Maarouf Strategic Planning: Holly ChenuTV producers : Pierre Marcus, Benjamin Besnainou (Prodigious) Music Production/Sound Design: Chris Canavaggio and Sean Henry Sound Mix: Chris Canavaggio and Sean Henry Production Company: Troublemakers.tv Director : Scott Benson Executive Producer: James Hagger Producer: Cecile Alvarez Production Assistant: Charles-Philippe BowlesWhy this campaign should be our Valentine: Valentine's Day is all about love and being in love. Our TVC simply suggests that love can only happen if we communicate with each other; whether it’s for a day or a lifetime, words are what matter most.

Asda: Which romantic TV or Movie Couple Are You?

Brand: AsdaTitle(s): Which romantic TV or Movie Couple Are You?Agency: IMP Media Limited, LeedsAgency website: impmedia.co.ukCreative Director: Danny Blackburn, IMP MediaBuild: DESQ, SheffieldWhy should this campaign be our Valentine?: Asda has a warm, friendly and fun relationship with its fans on Facebook – very much in line with the feeling you get when walking round an Asda store. In the run-up to Valentine's Day we set out to demonstrate this beyond our existing social media fanbase with a series of initiatives designed to encourage our fans to talk about Asda in a fun way with their friends. We developed a simple but irresistibly shareable relationship test based on the popular Cosmo-style multiple-choice approach. Clicking through a series of (rather silly) questions, users end up with one of 12 famous TV or movie couples – from true hopeless romantics like Romeo and Juliet to the truly hopeless like Homer and Marge from The Simpsons. Users are encouraged to share the results with their friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter – and in each case there's a link through to a related DVD on the Asda.com website. More than 100,000 people took the quiz in the first 24 hours. And thousands couldn't resist telling their friends who they got, adding messages like "Lord and Lady Grantham. Pity we don't have the house to match!"

Domino's - Tinder

Brand: Domino's Title(s): TinderAgency: iris WorldwideAgency Website: http://www.iris-worldwide.comWhy this campaign should be our Valentine: Domino’s Pizza is turning up the heat for Valentine’s Day as singles can now ‘swipe right’ for hot and tasty deals on popular mobile dating app Tinder.With an audience looking to chat, flirt and find a date, the Domino’s brand profile page appears as a potential match for both men and women, with three profile images telling a comic-book style story that users can swipe through. Matches who ‘swipe right’ will be matched with the pizza brand, inviting them to start a conversation and potentially win a hot date – in the form of Domino’s freebies and deals. The activity will be promoted via the pizza brand’s social media channels, with some of the best ‘cheesy’ one-liners and ‘saucy’ chats shared via Twitter and Facebook and the Domino’s blog.

CoppaFeel - Give yourself some love this Valentine’s Day and CoppaFeel!

Brand: CoppaFeelTitle(s): Give yourself some love this Valentine’s Day and CoppaFeel! Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi HealthAgency Website: http://www.saatchihealth.co.uk/Production Company Website: http://www.taylorjames.com Creative Director: Eduard Llena Portell, Saatchi & Saatchi Health Illustration: Taylor JamesWhy this campaign should be our Valentine: Because breast cancer affects 1 in 8 women and the earlier it is diagnosed the higher the chances of survival. The charity encourages young women in their 20’s to routinely check for signs of breast cancer, using a fun-loving tone and attitude (Note: the boob heart!).Saatchi & Saatchi Health teamed up with Taylor James, London and NYC based creative production studio, to promote the charity CoppaFeel and raise awareness whilst ‘love is in the air’.CoppaFeel was founded by twin sisters Kristin and Maren Hallenga after Kristin was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 23. Because of the late diagnosis, Kristin now lives with a stage four cancer. The twins devote themselves to educating young women about the dangers of late diagnosis and launched CoppaFeel in 2009. The advert is running in the Metro, Evening Standard, The Independent and The i newspapers today, Friday 14 February. So whether you have a date with that special someone or a date in front of the box, have your boobs checked on Valentine’s Day. And feel the love every month!

Baci - Say I Love You the Italian Way

Brand: BaciTitle(s): Say I Love You the Italian WayWhy should this campaign be our Valentine: What better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than by sending that special someone a Baci First Kiss?Baci is helping you send the perfect romantic gesture to your loved one. Take them on a trip down memory lane, and let them revisit the heart-stopping, head-spinning moment you first locked lips. It uses Google maps to pinpoint where your first kiss actually took place and it allows you to send a personalised love note to your partner! Better than a hallmark card and more special than a rose, TMW’s www.bacifirstkiss.co.uk campaign will really show them that you care – you can personalise your own love note too. So go on, take two minutes out of your day and send the perfect Valentine’s treat.

Ferrier Pearce Creative Group -Let the love grow

Brand: Ferrier Pearce Creative GroupTitle(s): Let the love growAgency: Ferrier Pearce Creative Group, London, England Agency website: http://www.fpcreativegroup.comCreative Director: Simon CoxePhotographer: Angela VincentAdditional credits: Giles Vincent and Ben DarvillWhy this campaign should be our Valentine: Our Valentine’s Day card will keep sharing the love all year round by sprouting thyme, basil and oregano. All it needs is to be loved and watered. The campaign focuses on our Zero Waste Week initiative, the aim of which is to reduce waste at work and at home in as many ways as possible. This card is made from handmade recycled paper that is packed with little seeds just waiting to grow, is personalised to the individual and requires no envelope. The idea grew from team collaboration between Ferrier Pearce and Kolab Digital, making it extra special!

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