How brands wooed Kiwis in the name of St Valentine (and profit)

As lovers young and old were celebrating their affections for one another yesterday, brands too made the most of Valentine’s Day by shooting their spend-inducing arrows at susceptible couples. Here are a few examples of how brands attempted to court couples’ wallets this year. 

Tower Insurance and Barnes, Catmur & Friends helped save the day for those ‘hopeless’ romantics out there, offering Valentine’s insurance to forgetful Kiwis.

The campaign, which ran over Facebook, press, radio and a plane banner encouraged those who would have forgotten to celebrate the day to claim on the offer, according to a release.

Tower then selected 12 couples to enjoy a fine dining experience at Meredith’s.

“It seems quite a few people had overlooked Valentine’s this year,” says Tower Insurance head of marketing Greta Yardley. “The campaign was a little different for an insurance company, but we felt that Valentine’s Day was a day where we could help Kiwis look out for their loved ones.”

Air New Zealand spread the love by urging its social media followers to “woo” it with their best pick-up lines for the chance to win a romantic getaway to Hawaii.

This follows on from its release of a heart-warming love story last week, where it reunited old wartime lovers, after 71 years apart.

While Valentine’s Day is supposed to be about the love between couples, Resn reminds us that at the end of the day, the most important person to love is ourselves. It made some quirky gifs posted to a dedicated Tumblr.

As is tradition on note-worthy days, Google changed its logo to a romantic doodle of the love between a teapot and a coffee percolator.

Whittaker’s hinted at the ultimate Valentine’s Day gift.

Gladeye showed how people in marketing and advertising can feel the love for their brand, literally, with Vibrundies. Deep, intimate, pulsating love.

Stardome and Rush Munro’s showed couples the love in the stars by paying tribute to the most romantic celestial objects.

Burger Burger and Fuller’s played match makers, setting young singles up on blind dates via a campaign through Motion Sickness Studio.

Lewis Road Creamery launched a Valentine’s campaign off the back of the release of its new ice cream by organising a Valentine’s Day picnic competition.

And finally, Lion Red sent into the StopPress office its own interpretation of roses in the form of a dozen Lion Reds with a pretty bow and balloon and a lovely card reading ‘Beer mine’.

If you readers have seen any good campaigns, then please feel free to post them on the comment wall.

According to Paymark Valentine’s Day saw sales through its network lift by 5.3 percent over the prior weekend.

” … whether that is influenced by the long weekend, the weather, or romance remaining alive and kicking isn’t something we can determine,” says chief executive Tim McFarlane.

Source: Paymark