[Marketing Week] Bob Koigi: Beyond roses and chocolate: Brands use Valentine’s Day to create meaningful experiences

Valentine’s Day has evolved from a simple celebration of love into a major marketing opportunity for brands, offering them a chance to connect with customers on a deeply emotional level. While traditionally a holiday for the flower, chocolate, and jewelry industries, brands across various sectors are increasingly leveraging the occasion to foster meaningful relationships with consumers.

In the weeks leading up to February 14th, marketing campaigns become a vibrant backdrop to the holiday, as brands craft messages of love, connection, and appreciation. Whether it’s through limited-edition products, personalized experiences, or feel-good storytelling, the goal remains the same: to make customers feel valued and special.

This week, Qatar Airways has announced that its cargo carrier, has transported 1,600 tonnes of flowers, the equivalent of 25 million fresh-cut Kenyan red roses on its Nairobi-Doha and Liège routes in time for Valentine’s Day. In addition to its scheduled passenger-and-cargo flights, the cargo carrier added nine Boeing 777 charter freighters in the fortnight leading up to Valentine’s Day, to support the increased demand during this peak season.

DoorDash recently launched "Threesome," a national, multipart, multiformat campaign created with GUT Los Angeles in partnership with Superette, the internal creative studio at DoorDash. DoorDash has become a Valentine’s Day staple by reimagining the way consumers purchase flowers for the holiday – ultimately expanding how we celebrate love in the process. 2023’s Self-Love Bouquet championed women’s pleasure and 2024’s Flowers are for Everyone taught us that most men don’t receive flowers until their funerals.

This year, Morrisons, in collaboration with Leo Burnett UK, is helping the nation make it right with Get Personal This Valentine’s Day a campaign that turns real customer gifting mishaps into bespoke love songs. At the heart of the campaign are three original tracks, inspired by true customer stories and sourced through a nationwide callout.

Flavor powerhouse Knorr and Tinder, the dating app, wanted to understand what traits or hobbies could make dating easier and conducted a survey that found cooking is the ultimate green flag for 93% of gen Z. So in honour of Valentine's Day, together, they're inviting singles to #UnlockYourGreenFlag by adding cooking, the ultimate green flag, to their list of interests on their Tinder profile to help find more connections.

At the same time, Tombras has launched its latest campaign for Sweethearts Candies. The OG Valentine’s Day candy is once again leaning into current dating trends with ‘Commitment Hearts’ – conversation hearts that mean what they say, using scannable AI technology. Instantly get married, move in, or get real headstones to take your love to the grave.

And in the lead up to Valentine’s Day, Barilla Canada had announced the limited-edition rollout of Barilla Love Pasta. The carefully crafted, heart shaped pasta celebrates love in all its forms, providing Canadians with the perfect way to share meaningful moments around the table with the people that matter most.

These campaigns build on the growing trend of experiential marketing, where consumers seek more than just products—they seek experiences that can connect them with the brands they love.

Campaigns of the week

American Family Insurance has announced a collaboration with Marvel Studios’ 'Captain America: Brave New World', in theatres this month, to illustrate and showcase the parallels between American Family Insurance’s Red Roofline and Captain America’s iconic shield as trusted emblems of protection.

To mark the eagerly anticipated return of the limited-run item, KFC has tapped into the obsessive psyche of a true believer who can’t help but see the thing they love in everything, by turning the entire world into an ad for the Double Down - through some not-so-subtle visual trickery. Launching with five films across online, linear TV, VOD, DOOH and social - a bunkbed, perfume bottles, a summer holiday, a watch and even the KFC logo itself become Zinger Double Downs right before our eyes.

#WorldsTogether, a Heineken's social impact campaign, developed in collaboration with The Social Gastronomy Movement to embody the spirit of True Togetherness has been launched. The campaign’s mission is simple yet profound: to break down barriers and build mutual understanding, one conversation and one beer at a time.

Rascals, a global premium baby care brand has announced the launch of its We Get It campaign, a heartfelt celebration of the highs and lows of early parenthood. Through a unique and relatable musical advertisement, Rascals cements its position as a brand that truly understands parents, champions their well-being, and simplifies the chaos of daily life with high-performing diapers.

Agencies and accounts

HAK is entering a new phase with ACE, focusing on driving the protein transition, transitioning to organic farming for all Dutch-grown vegetables and legumes, and encouraging vegetable consumption.

The Cayman Islands Department of Tourism (CIDOT) has named Harmelin Media as its Agency of Record for U.S. media planning and buying. Harmelin will provide strategic guidance, data-driven insights, and execute advertising campaigns across digital, print, broadcast, and streaming platforms.

Virgin Media O2 has appointed MSQ Sport + Entertainment, the new creative and strategic sponsorship agency that was launched last June by Jamie Wynne-Morgan and Steve Martin, as lead partnership and sponsorship agency for both brands.

Medium Giant, an integrated creative marketing agency, has announced the appointment as the agency of record (AOR) by Tire Discounters, the largest, independent family-owned and operated automotive service provider in the United States.

Appointments

Global advertising network GUT has named industry veteran Eva Rausch as managing director for Europe, underscoring the agency's commitment to expanding its regional presence.

Mediaplus Group has announced the appointment of John Wittesaele as COO International Markets. In this newly created role, Wittesaele will report directly to Matthias Brüll, Global CEO of Mediaplus.

Other major news of the week

In an era of algorithms, data overload, and advertising that often leaves audiences numb, DDB Worldwide is taking a stand for emotion with the launch of the Feels Barometer—a first-of-its-kind global tool designed to measure, decode, and harness human feelings at scale.

Publishing firm Hearst UK has announced a strategic partnership with marketing communications agency tpf to maximise advertising opportunities across its Entertainment Portfolio, including best, Digital Spy and Inside Soap.

Ogilvy has announced that Thjnk, one of Germany's most-awarded agencies, has joined the Ogilvy team in Germany. According to Ogilvy, the partnership creates a unique offering in the German market, with an innovative range of services that will drive impact both nationally and internationally.

Nielsen, a global player in audience measurement, data and analytics, and Hubbard Broadcasting have announced a new multi-year agreement for Local TV measurement of their services in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Television DMA in addition to the Duluth-Superior and Rochester-Mason City-Austin DMAs that were licensed in November 2024.

Bob Koigi is the editor-in-chief of Marketing Report.One