Why Cadbury 5 Star does nothing every Valentine’s Day

While most brands flood Valentine’s Day with romance and roses, one chocolate brand has spent the past five years doing the opposite by trolling the day itself. Instead of love letters and heart-shaped chocolates, Cadbury 5 Star has built an entire tradition around celebrating those who’d rather skip the hype. 

Partnering with Ogilvy India, the brand has taken a different approach to Valentine’s Day, turning it into an anticipated event not for romance but for its unexpected, laugh-out-loud campaigns. From poking fun at its own sibling brand, Cadbury Silk, to launching time-travel concepts and enlisting ‘uncles’ to erase the day from memory, 5 Star’s campaign evolution is unpredictable and unforgettable.

Breaking the ‘Love’ spell, one year at a time

The origins of 5 Star’s anti-love fest can be traced back to the launch of its tagline, ‘Eat 5 Star. Do Nothing.’ in December 2019. Based on the premise that there's no need to stress over anything when you can enjoy a 5 Star in peace. 

But how does a brand built on ‘doing nothing’ stay relevant in a world that never stops seeking the next big moment? And more importantly, how could this philosophy fit into major cultural moments?

Sukesh Nayak, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India, recalled how the team saw Valentine's Day as an opportunity to carve out a space for those who weren’t caught up in the hype.

Nayak said, "In 2020, soon after we launched the ‘Eat 5 Star Do Nothing' campaign, the team started looking for ways to build relevance for the new tagline in youth culture. Valentine's Day felt like a good fit for an occasion where we can champion people who don't want to do anything special. We started with a simple billboard ad for 5 Star placed next to a Silk billboard. Then with every year, we've made this counter-culture stance bigger and bigger to a point where audiences now wait to see what we'll do next for Valentine's Day."

What started as a cheeky outdoor ad was a glimpse into a much larger opportunity. As it turned out, a significant audience was ready for an anti-Valentine’s Day movement.  

In 2021, the brand introduced 'The Escape Valentine's Day Collection.' Instead of the expected Valentine's gifts like photo frames and teddy bears, Cadbury 5 Star transformed these items into practical furniture such as chairs and bean bags, promoting the idea of doing nothing special on the day. 

For Valentine's Day 2022, Cadbury 5 Star took control of an island off the coast of Karnataka and renamed it 'My Cousin's Wedding.' This initiative provided singles with a ready-made excuse to avoid Valentine's Day pressures by claiming they were attending a cousin's wedding. Participants could visit the island, enjoy complimentary chocolates, and escape the typical Valentine's Day atmosphere.  

In 2023, the brand launched the 'Mush Detector' web app, designed to help singles avoid areas with high romantic activity. Users could identify ‘mushy’ locations and find quieter spots to enjoy their day without encountering overt displays of affection. 

Last year, Cadbury 5 Star introduced the 'Erase Valentine's Day' campaign. The brand, in collaboration with space scientist Nambi Narayanan, developed a 'time travel vessel' named F.N.S. Cringe Vinash. On February 14th, volunteers aboard this vessel crossed the International Date Line, effectively skipping Valentine's Day entirely. The event was live-streamed for global viewing. 

This campaign earned a Bronze at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the Entertainment Lions category.

This year, Cadbury 5 Star launched the 'Destroy Valentine's Day' campaign by enlisting 'uncles' to participate in Valentine's Day activities. The idea was that by involving uncles, who are often seen as out of touch with youth trends, the younger generation would lose interest in the holiday's typical romantic expressions, thereby diminishing its prominence. Participants could nominate uncles through a dedicated website, and both the uncles and nominators received rewards.

But why take such a different stance when every other chocolate brand is leaning into love? 

"We identified a whitespace—what about those who aren’t celebrating?" explained Nitin Saini, VP, Marketing, Mondelez India. "Cadbury 5 Star is built around the idea of 'Do Nothing,' a philosophy that embraces solo indulgence. Rather than reinforcing love and togetherness, we chose to flip the script."

Saini believes that this stance not only helps the brand stand out but also resonates deeply with a large chunk of the Gen Z audience, who may feel pressured by the commercialised nature of Valentine’s Day.

"The core insight—that singles feel pressured during Valentine’s Day—has remained constant. The strength of this insight has allowed us to reinterpret it in fresh and engaging ways each year," he added. 

Saini shared that this collaboration between 5 Star and Ogilvy is built on trust and creative freedom. "We encourage unfiltered thinking, enabling the creation of campaigns that feel truly distinctive and ownable for 5 Star," said Saini.

This trust-driven approach has allowed the brand to take creative leaps while staying true to its quirky, anti-establishment voice.

Much of this unpredictability stems from the creative minds shaping these campaigns.

Nayak shared, “The team at Ogilvy has been the same throughout, but every year's V-day campaign feels like it comes from a completely different place, because the unpredictability of the campaign is something that the team has consciously baked into the campaign, and it's a big part of what makes it enjoyable.”

"Last year, when Karunasagar Sridharan (ECD Ogilvy) and team proposed building a time travel vessel, it felt like a completely departure from all our previous campaigns”, shared Sukesh. “It involved a massive undertaking on the other side of the globe. This year the team at Ogilvy was keen to take yet another unexpected U-turn by building on a solution that's the opposite in every way - something low-tech and right under our noses. That's how we hit upon the insight of using uncles to make Valentine's Day fade into obscurity, and the outcome is another campaign that has resonated with the audience in a completely different way.”

This constant reinvention is what makes 5 Star’s Valentine’s Day campaigns engaging.

"The richness of this insight allows us to keep evolving our creative execution. Whether it’s new formats, different cultural triggers, or fresh humour-laden takes, we’ll continue to push the boundaries in a way that feels true to the brand and relevant to our audience," shared Saini.

How audiences fell in love with Anti-Love campaigns

For a campaign that mocks Valentine’s Day, 5 Star’s annual anti-love ads have found a fan base. These campaigns tap into a wide demographic.

“Even in some of the earliest ‘Do Nothing’ campaigns, we could see that anti-valentine's day stance was resonating with a sizeable audience,” says Nayak. “As a brand that doesn't take itself too seriously, there isn't too much fear of alienating the audience because it really comes down to the spirit and tone of the campaigns. We have consistently built the campaign with a light-hearted tone which makes every piece enjoyable for all kinds of audiences irrespective of how much they love or hate Valentine's Day.” 

Nayak and Saini both shared that 5 Star’s campaigns often continue circulating in WhatsApp groups and across the internet weeks after their release. Nayak highlighted that the current campaign has been shared by over a million people on Instagram in a few days and has garnered over 10,000 comments.

Beyond engagement, these campaigns have also driven tangible business results.

Saini shared, “Our Valentine’s Day activations have consistently helped dial up brand love, which has historically translated into strong winter growth for the brand. Given the overwhelming traction we’ve received this year, we are optimistic about seeing a strong business outcome.”

Will 5 Star ever fall in love?

With this success, will 5 Star ever move on from its anti-Valentine’s stance?

"The last few campaigns have become a tradition that audiences look forward to. So, it's likely that we'll continue producing work that entertains this audience for as long as we can keep it fresh and surprising," says Nayak.

"As long as singles feel the pressure of Valentine’s Day, 5 Star will continue to step in with its signature rescue acts," said Saini.

So, even if love is in the air, 5 Star chooses to do nothing.