Valentine's Day 2025 round-up: how UK brands are treating romance

Valentine’s Day is typically associated with romance, heartfelt gestures and extravagant gifts. However, brands are taking a more creative and sometimes unconventional approach this year, using the occasion to spark conversations, raise awareness and even have a little fun. From breaking up in an eco-friendly way to exposing red flags in dating, here’s a round-up of the most eye-catching Valentine’s Day campaigns of 2025.

Cadbury “Gooey Love Songs” by VCCP

Cadbury Creme Egg has released a Valentine’s album titled “Gooey Love Songs”, containing 10 songs of various genres, written and developed by VCCP with audio house Siren. The brand also released a Cream Egg personality quiz, determining couples’ compatibility based on how they eat their chocolate and match them with one of the songs on the album.

“Love, sweet love” by BMB

BMB has created a Valentine's chocolate box, which not only contains sweet treats but honest messages on its menu. “Love, sweet love” includes 12 different flavours with humorous descriptions such as “Disagree Mint – Strong yet incompatible flavours” and “In-Law Cluster – Best experienced in moderation”. This follows the agency’s release of “properly honest wrapping papers” during Christmas, which featured messages such as "Happy many returns”.

Allianz and Women’s Aid “The Dead Flower Shop” by Forsman & Bodenfors

Allianz Ireland and Women’s Aid launched a one-day activation called "The Dead Flower Shop", created by Forsman & Bodenfors Dublin, aiming to highlight gender-based violence. While it looks like a regular flower shop from the outside, inside it is filled with dead flowers, with each bouquet representing and memorialising an individual woman who died at the hands of her partner.

Feeld “Immersive dinner” (in-house) 

Dating app Feeld hosted an experiential dinner ahead of Valentine’s Day, exploring what modern dating looks like. The dinner was a celebration of the app's Constellations feature, which allows users to link their profiles with up to five other partners and express complex relationships. The evening included a special dinner by Jago Rackman as well as a collaboration with jewellery designer Milko Boyorav, who created a ring for the occasion. 

Deliveroo “Valentine’s Day card” (in-house)

In a promotional campaign which the brand now apologised for, Deliveroo sent out discount codes in the form of disguised handwritten cards which were addressed to “My Valentine”.

Who gives a crap "World dump day" (in-house)  

Eco-friendly toilet paper brand Who Gives A Crap is tackling both sustainability and relationships with its cheeky "World dump day" campaign. The brand is helping people part ways with their partners in a more personal and eco-conscious manner, offering a bespoke break-up letter-writing service. The campaign also highlights the environmental impact of AI-generated break-up messages, encouraging a more human approach to difficult conversations.

No More "Language of love" by MullenLowe

Domestic abuse charity No More and MullenLowe UK have launched "Language of love" to highlight coercive relationships. The campaign features Valentine’s-style gift cards with seemingly affectionate but potentially harmful messages, such as "You’re mine". A supporting short film further underscores the importance of recognising the warning signs of controlling behaviour.

Morrisons "Get personal this Valentine’s Day" by Leo Burnett 

Morrisons and Leo Burnett UK are turning past gift-giving mishaps into bespoke love songs. Using real customer stories, three original tracks humorously apologise for previous Valentine’s Day gift blunders while promoting Morrisons’ products. The campaign includes a TV ad, social media activations, and partnerships with dating podcasts to help Brits make better choices this year.

Featurespace "Celebrating fraud fighters" (in-house)

Fraud prevention company Featurespace is celebrating the unsung heroes of banking with a lighthearted, yet meaningful, campaign. It involves delivering personalised Valentine’s messages and sweethearts to fraud professionals, recognising their efforts in keeping consumers safe from financial scams – an especially relevant topic during a time when romance fraud is on the rise.

Allwyn "EuroMillions Valentine’s campaign" by VCCP and in-house

Allwyn, operator of The National Lottery, is adding a playful twist to Valentine’s Day with its EuroMillions campaign. Featuring a voiceover by RuPaul’s Drag Race UK star Cheddar Gorgeous, the campaign humorously questions the appeal of luxury prizes, such as all-inclusive trips to the Maldives. The campaign spans TV, digital and influencer partnerships, emphasising the potential to "upgrade" one’s Valentine’s experience.

EE  "Raising awareness of romance scams" (in-house)
 

With romance scams on the rise, EE is using Valentine’s Day to warn online daters about "unprotected texts". Research reveals the risks of oversharing personal information, with EE highlighting how scammers target vulnerable individuals. The campaign underscores the importance of online safety and promotes EE’s fraud protection tools to help consumers stay secure.

Ikea x Breeze "In-bed dates" (in-house)
 

Ikea and dating app Breeze's campaign matches couples based on their sleep compatibility and offers them a first-date experience in a cozy Ikea bedroom set-up, complete with a romantic meatball dinner. 

Knorr x Tinder "Green flag" by MullenLowe

Knorr is teaming up with Tinder to promote cooking as the ultimate "green flag" in dating. With research showing that cooking skills make singles more attractive, the campaign encourages users to showcase their culinary talents on their Tinder profiles. Playful TikTok content and real-life cooking events further bring the campaign to life, inspiring singles to cook their way into someone’s heart.

Knorr x Ann Summers and Fred Sirieix "Knorrplay stock pot" (in-house)  

Knorr is also spicing things up with a saucy partnership with Ann Summers. The limited-edition "Knorrplay" stock pot encourages couples to bond over cooking, reinforcing the idea that preparing a meal together can be a form of foreplay. Available as a free gift with Ann Summers purchases, this campaign blends food, intimacy, and fun in a cheeky yet clever way.

A separate asset for the campaign also features celebrity maître d', Fred Sirieix. His tips for a perfect date night in the kitchen, combined with Knorr’s flavourful stock pots, encourage couples to create a special meal together.