This Valentines Day, brands and retailers are having to work extra hard to ensure their products and messages keep pace with consumer sentiment.It’s crucial tounderstand the role romance and romantic relationships will play in their customers’ lives to keep Valentines relevant now and in the years to come.
Seasonal occasions like Valentine’s Day provide an opportunity to connect with customers at a time when they’re actively looking for a little indulgence. Considering the challenges of inflationary economics and sustainability concerns, breaking through stereotypes has become increasingly important.
In a recent interview with BBC Worklife our Founder and CEO Joanna Feeley explains “We are seeing some of the mainstream corporate companies starting to embrace a wider descriptor of what Valentine’s Day actually means. Valentine’s almost needs a rebrand, but it’s not dead”.
Modern Love
The ‘pursuit of pleasure’ defines this rebellious trend for 2024; with celebrations offering the perfect outlet for hedonism. One of the key indicators of this trend was the rise of empathy fatigue and centring of the self. This trend recognises an important shift away from toxic positivity towards a more grounded and honest appreciation of life’s highs and lows, especially within romantic relationships. Design is inspired by a melting pot of anti-establishment movements, embracing goth and punk aesthetics. Messaging and editorial are not for the faint of heart, with a heavy dose of dark humour and profanity. This clashes with sugary sweet and overtly feminine touches.
Here are some examples of how brands are activating this rebellious trend. These playful and irreverent brand activations are perfectly primed for audiences who are seeking new and nuanced representations of love.
Break My Heart
What we said:
When we crafted this trend in 2022, we forecast that break-ups would become a source of empowerment, as individuals celebrate the end of bad relationships – from toxic friendships to destructive family ties. Divorce and break-up parties offer a way to gather support networks and celebrate the strength in walking away while breakup boxes focus on indulging in self.
What we saw:
This Valentine’s, we’ve seen brands indulging in the joy of singlehood. Some of the more attention-grabbing promotional campaigns celebrate the end of toxic relationships rather than the joy of romance. Ethical FMCG brand, Who Gives a Crap, launched a “flush your ex” campaign, asking followers to send love letters from their exes which they will recycle into toilet paper. Similarly, San Antonio Zoo are giving supporters the chance to name a co*ckroach after their ex to feed to a resident animal.
Dark Humour
What we said:
This trend offers a fresh and contemporary update on editorial for humour ranges or in marketing. Embrace the dark humour and a flippant tone of voice.
What we saw:
Embracing the apathetic and cynical mood of the Modern Love trend with a brutally yet appealingly honest portrayal of the pitfalls of modern dating, confectionary brand, Sweethearts Candies launched their love hearts just as “blurry as your situationship” this month.
Are you rethinking your 2025 retail occasions?
If you’re looking ahead to next year, our 2025 Future of Celebration forecast explores how this attitude shift is leading to a re-positioning of the value of romantic love altogether.Our Future of Celebration forecasts will help you plan and execute campaigns and product ranges that will resonate with your future consumers’ needs and expectations. Get actionable direction on trends covering all everyday and seasonal celebrations.
Some 33% will shop in department stores, while 31% will head to discount stores, and 17% will buy from florists, the NRF notes. Candy (at 57%), greeting cards (40%), and flowers (39%) will be the most popular gifts. But don't discount an evening out, which ranks at No. 4 with 32%.
1 John 4:7-12. Dear friends: let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Instead of traditional gifts, plan a day of family service. Choose a local charity or community organization and spend the day serving together, reflecting on the importance of selfless love.
Some historians believe that Valentine's Day originated as a pagan festival and was later adopted by the church to honor Saint Valentine. This original holiday was known as Lupercalia, and it served as a fertility festival among the people of Rome.
“On February 14, Americans celebrate love and friendship by exchanging cards, flowers, and candy. Although the origins of Valentine's Day are murky, ancient Romans celebrated the feast of Lupercalia, a spring festival, on the fifteenth of February.
Beyond The Classic Heart-Shaped Bouquet And Chocolates
While flowers, candy and greeting cards still top the list of main gifts, younger generations are shifting the way Valentine's Day is being celebrated, looking beyond traditional gifts.
A stock explanation of the holiday is that a Christian priest in Rome, named Valentine, who conducted marriage ceremonies for soldiers forbidden by the state, was arrested as part of the Roman persecution of Christians.
Valentine's Day isn't directly mentioned in the Bible, but any Christian knows that the scriptures are, in their entirety, “the greatest love story ever told.”
Make a list of the ways He has shown His love for you. The book An “I Love You” Prayer is a perfect starter for this activity, whether you do it by yourself or with your kids. ...
The origins of Valentine's Day can be traced back to ancient Roman times when it was a festival dedicated to the Roman god of fertility. As time passed, the festival evolved and was eventually associated with the Christian Saint Valentine, and it became a day to celebrate love and romance.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
Turns out, it was a pretty common name during Late Antiquity. As far as anyone can tell, the Saint Valentine of Valentine's Day was one of two guys preaching the good word in Rome in the third century. One of these two was martyred on February 14th 269, thus giving us the date for his eponymous day.
1 Corinthians 13:4–8a (ESV) Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
NRF described consumers as resilient. National Retail Federation today forecast that retail sales will increase in 2024 between 2.5% and 3.5% to between $5.23 trillion and $5.28 trillion. And that massive figure doesn't even include cars, gas and restaurants.
This display of love will not come cheap. The National Retail Federation (NRF) estimates that consumers will spend a record $25.8 billion, an average of $185.81 per person, on Valentine's Day in 2024. It is no wonder that US retailers love the holiday. So, who was this Saint Valentine to whom they owe the windfall?
On Valentine's Day, men are the big spenders – in fact, men spend about twice as much as women on Valentine's gifts. For many brands and advertisers, it might well be worth creating a campaign focusing on a male audience. Also, the typical Valentine's day shopper tends to be younger.
According to Drive Research, 52% of Americans will be celebrating Valentine's Day in 2024. 35% of consumers will shop online for gifts. 3 out of 10 of those celebrating will go into credit card debt doing it! Valentine's Day spending is projected to average $192 which is up from 2022's $175.
Introduction: My name is Melvina Ondricka, I am a helpful, fancy, friendly, innocent, outstanding, courageous, thoughtful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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