Experts Speak

Why are brands flipping the Valentine’s Day script?

Valentine’s Day ads are no longer just about romance and couples, they now embrace self-love and friendships and even reject the day altogether. But what’s driving this shift? In this article, we explore why brands are flipping the Valentine’s script.

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Sneha Medda
New Update
flipping Valentine’s Day

What if Valentine’s Day came with an unexpected perk, lifetime free solo trips, but only if you’re single? A little unusual, isn’t it? That’s exactly what RedBus did this year, turning the traditional Valentine’s Day narrative on its head and making solo travellers the stars of the occasion.

RedBus isn’t the only brand pivoting to this narrative. Over the past few years, brands have been rewriting the Valentine’s Day playbook, moving away from the classic themes of romance and coupledom. Instead, they are celebrating friendships, pets, self-love, or in some cases, rejecting V-Day altogether. 

One of the earliest examples of this shift is Cadbury 5Star’s 2020 campaign, Do Nothing. The brand released a series of six-second ads showing Valentine’s Day scenarios gone wrong, each concluding with a simple solution, “Eat 5 Star. Do Nothing.”

Since then, 5Star has entirely embraced its anti-Valentine stance with campaigns like The Escape Valentine’s Day Collection, Is This the Last Valentine’s Ever?, and most recently, Destroy Valentine’s Day.

Nitin Saini, VP of Mondelez India, explained that 5Star has consistently targetted d singles who feel left out during Valentine’s Day celebrations. He said, “The core insight remains unchanged—many singles experience pressure and FOMO during this time—but its richness allows us to bring fresh, culturally relevant interpretations to life each year.”

Other brands have also followed suit, taking the anti-Valentine’s narrative in new directions. Instead of bashing the day altogether, some chose to redefine love on their own terms.

Last year, Ajio and Youngun reimagined Valentine’s Day as ‘Me Day’. Using Gen-Z lingo like ‘rizz’ and ‘situationship,’ the campaign encouraged individuals to shift their focus from external validation to self-appreciation through fashion. 

This year, Niyo, a travel banking fintech platform, turned one of the world’s most romantic landmarks, the Eiffel Tower, into a spokesperson for singlehood. In the ad, the Eiffel tower is single and tired of being surrounded by cheesy couples all the time and wants more single people to explore solo travelling. 

Telling us what inspired this narrative, Sushanth Ravikumar, Senior Vice President, Head of Marketing & Growth at Niyo, shared that the brand wanted to break free from the traditional, couple-centric messaging of Valentine’s Day. He said, “Valentine’s Day has traditionally been focused on couples, celebrating romantic relationships. While this is lovely, we saw an opportunity to provide an alternative perspective by celebrating solo travel, freedom, and self-love instead.” 

Why does rejecting V-Day work?

Brands aren’t rejecting Valentine’s Day just for the sake of being different; they are responding to real audience sentiment shifts. The rise of Galentine’s Day, self-love campaigns, and individualism all point toward a cultural transformation.

Take Galentine’s Day, for example. What started as a fictional holiday on Parks and Recreation has now become a widely celebrated occasion. In the show, the main character, Leslie Knope, created Galentine’s Day as a way to celebrate female friendships, and the idea resonated so strongly that it transcended the screen. Today, it’s more than just a niche pop culture reference, it’s a recognised celebration embraced by people worldwide.

According to surveys conducted, more people are open to celebrating Galentines over Valentine's this year. This changing sentiment is key to understanding why brands are taking an alternative route. 

Parikshit Vivekanand, Sr. Creative Director, Kulfi Collective said, "Challenging traditional V-Day themes works because, let’s face it, not everyone’s in love—so many are navigating heartbreak, unfulfilled expectations, or just rejecting the pressure of romance. This makes anti-Valentine’s Day campaigns deeply relatable."

Harshit Sharma, Founding Member & Sr. Brand Strategist at Youngun, said, “Generations change, and so does their thinking about certain things. For millennials, Valentine's Day was just about celebrating with a partner, but Gen Z sees it differently. People have stopped looking at Valentine’s Day as just a day to celebrate with their partners but more as a day of love they can celebrate and be happy with their loved ones, which can include anyone.” 

To Gen Z, Valentine’s Day isn’t restricted to romantic love, it’s about self-love, friendships, and celebrating relationships of all kinds. With Gen Z being a dominant and influential consumer base, brands are innovating to changing times in order to stay relevant. “The concept feels old and basic—brands need fresh, unique narratives to stand out and connect with their audience,” Sharma said.

Beyond generational shifts, Saini thinks social media has a huge role to play in this shift in narrative. Every February, social media timelines flood with two dominant themes, one celebrating love in all its grandeur and another poking fun at singledom. Memes about couples, self-deprecating jokes about being single, and even outright dismissals of Valentine’s Day often go viral, tapping into a mix of humour and relatability.

Saini said, “Over the years the relevance for Valentine’s Day has grown significantly, especially in the digital era where social media amplifies celebrations. Today every romantic gesture is more visible than ever. While this creates excitement for those celebrating, it also heightens the sense of FOMO for singles.” 

And since there are different sets of target groups for a single occasion, brands can tap into both the audiences, those who celebrate and those who opt-out.

It's effective 

Brands have learned that taking an anti-Valentine’s or simply moving away from the cliche Valentine’s approach, allows them to connect with a wider audience. Campaigns that focus on self-love or humour often resonate more with consumers who feel pressured by traditional Valentine’s messaging.

“Anti-Valentine’s Day messaging resonates with audiences because it taps into the growing movement of self-love and the rejection of societal pressure around romantic expectations,” Ravikumar said. “Our campaign celebrates these values by empowering people to prioritise themselves and embrace their own unique journeys.”

Similarly, Cadbury 5Star’s approach has been successful because it provides an escape from the pressures of the day. “Rather than simply sitting out the occasion, we’ve leaned into it in a way that stays true to our brand identity—flipping the script with humour and irreverence to make the day more inclusive for those who’d rather opt out,” Saini said. 

The evolution of Valentine’s Day advertising isn’t just a passing trend, it is a reflection of changing social norms. As the youth continues to reject the outdated formula of romance and love, brands can either adapt or risk being left out.

The days of one-size-fits-all romance are fading. This is making room for change in narratives that embrace individuality. In a world where love takes many forms, brands need to step up and break the mould. 

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