So it has finally arrived then. The first non-public holiday ‘holiday’ of the year, the one day dedicated to showing others we love them, and want to do whatever it takes to celebrate that feeling.

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Here in the U.K., Valentine’s Day has never enjoyed the same level of hype as it does over the Pond in the U.S. So whilst shops may have started peddling chocolate hearts and red roses before half the country’s Christmas trees had been taken away and committed to history, it has historically been viewed as one of the lesser events in the annual calendar.
Maybe it’s down to our inherent cynicism- that peculiarly British penchant for sarcasm and ironic wit. A day that’s all about overblown gestures of affection is never really going to be the biggest date in the diary when your overall outlook is akin to skim reading the homepage of the satirical masterpiece that is the Daily Mash.
Nevertheless, commercially speaking Valentine’s is becoming more important with every instalment. According to debit card processing firm Worldpay, florists can expect a staggering 245% year on year increase in sales between 2016 and 2017, with restaurateurs looking at a 45% lift in customer spend. Needless to say, the number of PR campaigns promoting 14th February is also on the rise, but some have a more significant message than others. Here’s a selection of Valentine’s Day PR campaigns we think you should be aware of, because they certainly made an impact on us.
 
Lush 

As a company Lush is known for its ethics- from animal welfare to the environment. For 2017’s big love in, though, the firm has decided to look at another issue it clearly feels very strongly about; same sex relationships. Taking to social media to share images of guys with guys and girls with girls, search online for #loveislove to see just how successful this one has been.
 
Sainsburys 

Less of a campaign, and more a long time coming, this year Sainsburys has decided to sell same-sex Valentine’s cards for the first time ever. Rather shockingly, considering it’s 2017 and all, the supermarket giant is one of the few major retailers to tackle the lack of cards aimed directly at gay couples, and this isn’t the first time the store has championed the cause, running Christmas ads two years on the trot featuring gay couples.
 
Fair Trade

The idea here is simple- show some love for those who are far away, not just people physically close to us, by downloading a special Valentine’s Day card that can be sent out to Fairtrade farmers across the world who are working hard to ensure that human rights, the environment and animal welfare are priorities in the processes required for food production.
 
NHS Blood and Transplant 

Given the way NHS Blood and Transplant’s Missing Type campaign was subsequently adopted by health services across the world, it should come as no surprise the organisation finds itself on our list of exceptional Valentine’s messages this year, with the song ‘If I Could Give You My Heart  (I Probably Wouldn’t)’ aimed at raising awareness about the 5,000 Britons currently waiting for a new kidney.

Looking for more advice on PR, social media, and marketing? Why not get in contact or submit a brief to inject a little ingeniousness into your brand.