Gen Z Loves Valentine’s Day—How Brands Are Responding

Valentine’s Day is getting a lot of love from brands this year, as the holiday emerges as a spending powerhouse.

Consumers are expected to shell out a record $27.5 billion on Feb. 14 celebrations and gifts, a 6.6% rise over last year and above the 2020 record of $27.4 billion, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation with Prosper Insights & Analytics. The group found that 56% of consumers plan to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, an increase from last year’s 53%. And as with Halloween, which in recent years has become a large-scale marketing opportunity thanks to interest from younger consumers, Gen Z is leading the charge. Sixty-five percent of consumers ages 25 to 34, which includes Gen Zers and younger millennials, are planning to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year, according to the survey. Many are buying for “Galentine’s Day,” which refers to Feb. 13, a date dedicated to female friendships.

“Gen Z in particular has embraced the philosophy of ‘live for today because tomorrow is uncertain,’ and appreciate ‘little treats’ to celebrate smaller moments in life,” said Katherine Cullen, VP of industry and consumer insights at the NRF. “Marking holidays like Valentine’s Day is one way these shoppers are looking to spark moments of joy throughout the year.”

To capture demand, Anthropologie, the women’s retailer, began its Valentine’s Day campaign earlier than ever on Dec. 26 of last year—nearly two weeks before it began marketing Feb. 14 in 2024, Barbra Sainsurin, global executive director of brand and digital marketing, said on a recent edition of Ad Age's Marketer's Brief podcast. She said the brand noticed its customers were seeking out heart-themed products early.

This year, Anthropologie expanded its product offerings for the holiday to include head-to-toe apparel options as well as gifts, entertaining and home décor items. The chain’s social-first campaign includes creator partnerships highlighted on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.

“Seasonal shifts and holidays evoke feelings of joy and nostalgia, and customers are eager to experience those emotions as early as possible, which drives the demand for earlier launches,” said Sainsurin.

Several direct-to-consumer brands, including Sol de Janeiro, Popflex and Hydro Flask, have been promoting their Valentine’s Day sales this week through email marketing to their customers.

“Who needs flowers and chocolate when you’ve got free shipping on everything you love?” read one emailed missive from popular body care brand Sol de Janeiro.

Yet there are still plenty of marketers offering chocolate, and in creative forms. Below, Ad Age rounded up some of the most creative marketing campaigns this Feb. 14.

Ghirardelli’s chocolate locket
Chocolate brand Ghirardelli combined two traditional Valentine’s Day gifts of jewelry and chocolate with its “Chocolocket.” The 14K gold-plated locket holds a small Ghirardelli square of chocolate inside, along with an engraving “Love you like chocolate.” The limited-edition item quickly sold out earlier this week.

Grillo’s Pickle Bouquet
After a successful debut last year, the popular pickle brand released its pickle bouquet again last month. The $35 do-it-yourself kit, which includes a coupon for a jar of Grillo’s, a foam base, paper, filler greens and a vase and skewers, quickly sold out and fans encouraged each other to create their own versions.

Pete Davidson as Reformation’s official boyfriend
Womenswear brand Reformation tapped Pete Davidson to star in a Valentine’s Day campaign that positions the actor and SNL alum as the “official boyfriend” who can spot the difference between “Val Mid-Rise Jeans” and “Abby Low-Rise Jeans.” The brand released a video this week as part of the push, which also includes out-of-home ads and limited-edition merchandise including sweatshirts and boxer briefs.

Stonyfield’s Toxic Ex Challenge
As yogurt brand Stonyfield Organic promotes its toxin-free ingredients, it is asking customers to rid themselves of other toxins as well. The “Toxic Ex Challenge” encourages customers to block their “toxic exes” on social media and potentially receive $1,000 from the brand in the process.

Ikea’s sleep match-up
Earlier this month, the Swedish home goods store partnered with Breeze, a dating app, to help couples find their best sleep mates. Breeze selected nine couples in London, Manchester and Edinburgh, partnering consumers based on their sleep compatibility. Couples were then chosen to have first dates at their local Ikea shops.

Stella’s chocolate chalices
Stella Artois created a limited run of small chocolate chalices. Each 3D-printed box has six chocolates in three flavors, including one crafted after the Belgian brand’s own beer.

Nickelodeon’s Love Chute
Bloomington, Minnesota’s Mall of America is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a series of attractions that include a Love Chute at theme park Nickelodeon Universe. Available through Feb. 17, the ride rebrands the regular Log Chute ride with a heart theme. The ride includes a 40-foot drop.

Subway’s free footlongs
Subway is embracing buy-one-get-one promotions this February—customers who use code FLBOGO on the Subway app can get a free footlong for every footlong they purchase (that’s 24 inches of sandwich).

This article was originally posted on Ad Age here.