Valentine’s Day is a key holiday in experiential, and on top of producing special-edition products and offers, from heart-shaped pepperoni pizza kits to cooking classes for romantics, brands seize this annual opportunity to encourage consumers to stop and smell the roses (or in the case of LEGO, to build one). Brand love is in the air… let’s explore the tactics.
LEGO BUILDS ON ITS BOTANICALS LINES
LEGO continued to engage new generations of builders with its botanical lines that the brand fittingly brought to life in time for Valentine’s Day. Inspired by data that shows a 51-percent “surge” in social media discussions focused on how consumers feel disconnected to their loved ones, the brand launched the Botanicals Le Florist Flower Truck Tour, a global campaign celebrating all forms of love—“from soulmates and besties, to favorite colleagues and self-lovers.”
The tour kicked off ahead of Valentine’s Day at Madison Square Park in New York City, and traveled to Atlanta, Nashville and Toronto, before heading to Europe and then Asia. The trolley-style activation offered floral displays (the kind that don’t wilt or rot), selfie spots and interactive workshops, with consumers able to build custom blooms to take away.
Those unable to catch the truck in person could watch free eight-minute-long online workshops with celebrity florist and artistic director Jeff Leatham via LEGO.com/Botanicals (event marketers, take note of the micro-workshop format). In addition, select LEGO stores across the AMS and AMEA regions hosted Valentine’s Day-themed “Make & Take” experiences leading up to the holiday.
BUSCH LIGHT HOSTS SPEED DATING AT ‘DATE-TONA’
Busch Light addressed burnout for Valentine’s Day—but not of the vehicular kind. The brand cracked open research that found 80 percent of consumer say dating apps are taking a toll on their emotional health. To encourage young adults (21 and older) to get offline and make IRL connections, the official NASCAR beer sponsor hosted “Date-Tona,” featuring a “high-octane speed dating experience.”
In January, the brand opened up a sweepstakes for consumers, with eight singles selected and matched together via a compatibility test. They were then invited to the Daytona International Speedway where they donned NASCAR-branded fire suits and took some laps. The couples then earned tickets to attend the Daytona 500 on Feb. 16 together.
The program follows a previous Valentine’s Day campaign, in which the brand married two superfans during a 10-second NASCAR pit stop in Las Vegas.
Photo credit: Busch Light
CHARMIN ROLLS WITH DATING APP THURSDAY
If you’ve been in the event marketing space long enough, you know that the bathroom is the epicenter of some of the industry’s most memorable—and useful—campaigns. Charmin, which often campaigns to make personal care conversations transparent and easy to have, teamed up with dating app Thursday and reality star Brittany Cartwright (of “Vanderpump Rules” fame) to show how its Charmin Ultra Soft Smooth Tear line might just help you score a second date.
The brand’s Prevent the Dump campaign was inspired by a survey that found 1 in 5 consumers “know someone who dumped a date/love interest because of low quality toilet paper.” The survey also found that 57 percent of consumers judge their dates or love interests based on the cleanliness of the bathroom and style of “TP” they use. “There’s a lot I look for in a date, and believe it or not, superior toilet paper, like Charmin, is a major green flag, showing me that even the smallest details have been considered,” Cartwright said in the release.
Beyond the #PreventTheDump campaign on socials, Charmin “coupled” with IRL dating brand Thursday on in-person dating events in New York City and Chicago—“to show singles nationwide how superior toilet paper can impact more than your backside.”
SWEETHEARTS TASTE-TESTS A NEW SITUATION
Following up on its viral Situationship Boxes campaign, inspired by the dating trends of Gen Z, the classic candy hearts maker for Valentine’s Day turned to a mega-hot topic—artificial intelligence—for fuel. Th brand’s survey found that both Gen Z (84 percent) and millennials (82 percent) have had their fill of relationships that lack commitment or clear definition. In fact, 92 percent of survey participants wish their partners, “actually said what they mean rather than sending mixed messages.”
Enter: Scannable Sweethearts candies. Consumers could go to sweatheartscandies.com, and depending on which heart type they scanned (“MOVE IN?” “MARRY ME” and “4EVER EVER?”), were directed to businesses like Piece of Cake Moving & Stores for moving trucks or Courtly for marriage license resources, or even, a manufacturer of heart-shaped headstones—“for lovers who want something really concrete.”
“We’ve come full circle from embracing ambiguity with last year’s Situationship Boxes to helping today’s singles define their relationships with America’s much-loved Valentine’s Day candy,” Evan Brock, vp-marketing for Spangler Candy Company, said in a release.
PRINCESS CRUISES STEERS INTO POP-UP DINING
Cruise ships are known for their dining experiences, and Valentine’s Day is known for competitive dinner reservations, and so to draw attention to its Love by Britto dining experience just before it debuted a second location onboard Star Princess, Princess Cruises popped up an opportunity to taste the “exquisite showcase” shoreside in New York City. The cruise line offered “two nights of romance” with a chef-curated five-course menu, cocktails and the artwork of Romero Britto.
The dining concept, which debuted on Sun Princess, took place at Currents at Pier 59 on New York City’s waterfront. The cost was $214 per person—a nod to the day of Valentine’s Day, according to the brand. Reservations were available on Tock and proceeds went to Save the Children.
“New York City and Princess Cruises are united by a shared spirit of romance, and both are iconic settings where love is celebrated, nurtured and cherished,” Rudi Sodamin, head of culinary arts for Princess Cruises, said in the release. “There’s no better place than New York City this Valentine’s Day to debut our first-ever shoreside pop-up of Love by Britto. Our goal is to leave New Yorkers inspired—through culinary masterpieces and Romero Britto’s vibrant artistry—by celebrating the universal language of love in this exclusive dining experience.”
Image: Courtesy of Princess Cruises
COCA-COLA BUILDS A TUNNEL OF LOVE
Only in the experiential marketing world do you read sentences like this: At a Raising Cane’s location in Grand Prairie, TX, consumers are combining their love of fried chicken with romance. Indeed, the Raising Cane’s x Coca-Cola Tunnel of Love served as a drive-thru Valentine’s Day spectacle that took workers more than 2,000 hours to construct. The installation included a bespoke, animated light show, and featured a heart-shaped entry archway, 20,000 lights, 3,000 roses and other dramatic décor elements.
The first 60 people to check out the Tunnel of Love scored a custom-painted Coca-Cola bottle, while later in the week, fan-favorite “Love Island” couple JaNa Craig and Kenny Rodriguez experienced the Tunnel of Love, signed autographs and took photos with fans. Then, on Galentine’s Day, the first 100 consumers who made it to the tunnel from 6-9 p.m. snagged a floral bouquet. And on Valentine’s Day, Operation Kindness had dogs available for adoption on-site. –K.S.
WHITE CASTLE’S ANNUAL TRADITION SIZZLES ON
And because, tradition, we had to include White Castle, which transformed locations into Love Castles on Feb. 14, “featuring special décor, hostess seating and tableside service.” Two special deals were available: the sloppy joe combo for $5 and a sloppy joe six-pack for $6.99. Because love is messy, right?
For those unable to snag a reservation, the brand created the Love Kit, which fed five people and featured 20 Sliders, one pouch of pickles, 20 Strawberry Cheesecake Desserts on a Stick, and VIP coupons. Consumers could order a shipment (while supplies lasted) for $99 on a microsite. White Castle’s tradition started in 1991. Previously, the brand debuted a merch collection, including the Love Castle robe, sunglasses and t-shirts, for all the quick-service kings and queens out there.
