The 4-week period covering Valentine’s Day was worth £160 million to convenience retailers in 2024.*
This year, we explore how retailers and brands captured the hearts of shoppers in stores and online. Plus, we'll look into our involvement with Bridget Jones and Galaxy, along with some other creative campaigns we loved this month.
GALAXY & BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY
This February saw the launch of our in-store activation for the Galaxy and Bridget Jones partnership. Sainsbury’s shoppers had the chance to win a London break with their besties, adding extra value to their delicious purchases and allowing them to relive their favourite moments from the film.
Bridget Jones: Mad About The Boy clearly pulled on the heartstrings of the nation, achieving a record-breaking debut at the UK and Ireland box office. The Valentine’s release date surely contributed to its rapid success—perfectly timed for date nights across the country.
The overwhelming love for the film demonstrates that the Bridget Jones franchise remains relevant and that Bridget herself is still a beloved British icon. This boded well for both Universal and Galaxy, with the partnership boosting awareness of the film in stores while positioning Galaxy alongside a cherished cultural figure—creating a perfect pairing for Valentine’s Day.
SAINSBURY'S 'BAGGED' OUR HEARTS
Simple, bold, stand-out and well executed, all words we would use to describe Sainsbury's Valentine's approach this year. The simplicity of the approach allowed them to spread the love between their in-store and online marketing material with ease.
WOW BAE!
A WOW bay does exactly that—it grabs your attention, pulling you away from your mission for toilet roll and bread, sparking an impulse purchase. Here are some great examples of WOW bays we've spotted in stores.
DR PEPPER CHERRY CRUSH LAUNCH 🍒🚀
With copy lines full of humour and bold graphic flavour, the launch of Dr Pepper Cherry Crush caught our eye in the aisle this February. Perfectly aligned with Valentine’s Day, this limited edition flavour invited customers to 'check it out and take them home' and 'walk down the aisle' with them. They didn't need to ask us twice, they had us at 'Try more weird'. But calling it 'more weird' or different couldn’t be further from the truth—cherry variants have driven 55% of value sales growth across colas over the past year.** On the back of a huge brand that's already deeply loved by fans, they clearly know how to connect with their audience, so are surely onto a winner.
I'LL HAVE WHAT SHE'S HAVING 🥪💙
We couldn't do a Valentine's Blog without mentioning Hellmann's 2025 Super Bowl campaign, "When Sally Met Hellmann's,". VML cleverly used nostalgia and star appeal by reuniting Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal to recreate the iconic scene from When Harry Met Sally'. The ad sees Sally using Hellmann's mayonnaise to create a 'unique' sandwich experience that was both funny and clever. This strategic combination of beloved film nostalgia, loved pop culture references and insights into game-day eating trends, made for a campaign that was both memorable and effective.***
NEXT TIME...
At the end of March, we’re excited to share our latest case study on Birds Eye Chicken Shop—the perfect frozen "fakeaway" alternative to takeout!
We’ll also be diving into key in-store events happening throughout the month, including Mother’s Day, Pancake Day, and Easter.
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Sources:
*NielsenIQ| Impulse Independents and Symbols | Value (£) |L4W w/e 24 February 2024
**Nielsen Total GB MAT val WE 07.09.24
***MarketingBrew, AdWeek, VML.