Celebrating holidays is a mixed bag. There are those, like Christmas, Hanukkah and Diwali, that are long-held religious traditions. We’ve also got the likes of Canada Day and Thanksgiving, which are civic in nature. But then there are those that seem to have been created to simply prop up the greeting card industrial complex. Which brings us to Valentine’s Day. What began as a religious celebration of an early Christian saint has morphed into a cultural behemoth that is either a special time of year when love is in the air, or a unique opportunity for advertisers to sell us more stuff under threat of spending our days on earth alone forever and ever.
Some brands are very good at selling love and affection, while others’ idea of romance is a tad more questionable. Here are our picks for Top 6 Best and Worst Ads for Valentine’s Day.
The Best
Google “Parisian Love”
A love story told in a search box? Oui.
Puma “Hard Chorus”
What do men love more, their significant other or their football club? Puma and agency Droga5 brought the two together by getting some of the most hardcore fans from around the world to use their stadium voices to instead sing a love song.
Sagami “Original”
Three words that have never been together, “romantic condom commercial.” Until now.
David Nygaard Fine Jewelers “Green Lantern Girl”
Isn’t it beautiful when someone just GETS you?
Shera Flexy Board “Jing-Jok”
This ad for ceiling tiles from Thailand gets down right Shakespearean.
Samsung “Work Trip”
Clearly the romance doesn’t have to end after marriage and kids. Also that guy is totally going to watch the video in that cab.
And now.. The Worst.
Hooters
Chris Rock once said, “No one goes to Hooters for wings.” I’ll go out on a limb and add, “No one in their right mind takes a Valentine’s Day date to Hooters for wings.”
Tampax
Some brands should just avoid tying their advertising to a holiday of any kind. This is one of those brands.
99¢ Only Stores
If you are getting the person you love most in the world a chocolate rose at this place for 99¢, expect that person you love most in the world to punch you in the neck. That said, the store chain does offer a Do’s and Don’ts list for Valentine’s gifts you might find helpful.
Thrifty Car Rental
This is actually pretty clever. Until the next time you climb into the driver’s seat of a rental car and start imagining all the… uh, romance that may have been committed in that very spot.
Axe
“Why don’t we just turn a heart upside down to make an ass?” “Sold!”
Evergreen Waste Services
In a way they’re right, absolutely nothing will say “I love you” like affordable, reliable trash service.
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Blogs & Comment
The best (and worst) advertising for Valentine's Day
By Jeff Beer
Celebrating holidays is a mixed bag. There are those, like Christmas, Hanukkah and Diwali, that are long-held religious traditions. We’ve also got the likes of Canada Day and Thanksgiving, which are civic in nature. But then there are those that seem to have been created to simply prop up the greeting card industrial complex. Which brings us to Valentine’s Day. What began as a religious celebration of an early Christian saint has morphed into a cultural behemoth that is either a special time of year when love is in the air, or a unique opportunity for advertisers to sell us more stuff under threat of spending our days on earth alone forever and ever.
Some brands are very good at selling love and affection, while others’ idea of romance is a tad more questionable. Here are our picks for Top 6 Best and Worst Ads for Valentine’s Day.
The Best
Google “Parisian Love”
A love story told in a search box? Oui.
Puma “Hard Chorus”
What do men love more, their significant other or their football club? Puma and agency Droga5 brought the two together by getting some of the most hardcore fans from around the world to use their stadium voices to instead sing a love song.
Sagami “Original”
Three words that have never been together, “romantic condom commercial.” Until now.
David Nygaard Fine Jewelers “Green Lantern Girl”
Isn’t it beautiful when someone just GETS you?
Shera Flexy Board “Jing-Jok”
This ad for ceiling tiles from Thailand gets down right Shakespearean.
Samsung “Work Trip”
Clearly the romance doesn’t have to end after marriage and kids. Also that guy is totally going to watch the video in that cab.
And now.. The Worst.
Hooters
Chris Rock once said, “No one goes to Hooters for wings.” I’ll go out on a limb and add, “No one in their right mind takes a Valentine’s Day date to Hooters for wings.”
Tampax
Some brands should just avoid tying their advertising to a holiday of any kind. This is one of those brands.
99¢ Only Stores
If you are getting the person you love most in the world a chocolate rose at this place for 99¢, expect that person you love most in the world to punch you in the neck. That said, the store chain does offer a Do’s and Don’ts list for Valentine’s gifts you might find helpful.
Thrifty Car Rental
This is actually pretty clever. Until the next time you climb into the driver’s seat of a rental car and start imagining all the… uh, romance that may have been committed in that very spot.
Axe
“Why don’t we just turn a heart upside down to make an ass?” “Sold!”
Evergreen Waste Services
In a way they’re right, absolutely nothing will say “I love you” like affordable, reliable trash service.
(via Buzzfeed)
Follow @jeffcbeer