Love is in the air: Roundup of V-day campaigns in HK

This year's Valentine's Day has Hongkongers eagerly spending money and celebrating with their partners at restaurants, creating memorable experiences. This is highlighted by a survey from HK Romance Dating (HKRD), which shows that Hongkongers are more willing to spend on dining than last year.

According to the survey, 72% of men and 76% of women plan to dine out with their partners. Furthermore, 40% of men and 42% of women expect to spend between HK$1,001 and HK$2,000.

Don’t miss: Survey: Over 70% of HKers loosen purse strings on dining this V-day

In the spirit of celebrating this much-anticipated festival, brands in Hong Kong have fully embraced their creativity with engaging campaigns this season of love. Ranging from Coca-Cola's first drone show in Hong Kong to IKEA's social post for singles, these initiatives highlight the innovation of Hong Kong's marketing industry, capturing the attention of audiences and providing distinctive experiences.

Let’s go through some of the outstanding heartwarming and humourous campaigns created by brands in Hong Kong MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has rounded up this Valentine’s Day.

Coca-Cola Hong Kong

Coca-Cola has celebrated Valentine’s Day with its first drone show in Hong Kong. Also known as “Meet on 2.14: Together, share your heartfelt wishes with Coca-Cola”, the show aims to bring people closer through shared moments of happiness, said a spokesperson from Coca-Cola Hong Kong in a conversation with MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.  

This event celebrates Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day, and the spirit of togetherness, featuring drone formations showcasing Hong Kong-specific meal occasions in the sky, an exclusive audio guide by local actor Louis Cheung, synchronised animations at the Ocean Terminal Deck, and themed photo-taking zones and a blessing wall, added the spokesperson.  

Done in partnership with Ernest & Donald Marketing Communications and media agency EssenceMediacom, the campaign wishes to inspire connections and make everyday moments extraordinary by blending innovation, tradition, and brand storytelling, said the spokesperson. 

IKEA Hong Kong 

To coincide with Valentine's Day, IKEA Hong Kong has created a social post on its Facebook and Instagram pages to promote its line of bamboo products. The post humorously “defends” singles, playing on the Cantonese word for bamboo, “竹”, resembling the pronunciation of English word "joke".

The post reads: “Valentine's Day so happy huh? Today, as soon as I went down to the streets, I could already sense the vibes of wanting to tease us single folks from your lovey-dovey bunch! If you want to laugh at me for being single, let me create a post and laugh with you all!”

“I am alone, but I am not a 「竹」!” the post said. 

IKEA Hong Kong’s Instagram post has received over 5,200k likes, according to a check by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE seen on Instagram. Several netizens commented with laugh-cry emojis on the post. Meanwhile, its Facebook post has also received over 470 likes and 60 shares.

Additionally, IKEA Hong Kong has put up a video on Instagram featuring a single man engaging in various solo activities at different levels. These include walking through IKEA by himself, eating by himself, trying out a twin bed, moving house, pretending to go to a club, visiting a theme park alone, posing for photos pretending he is in a relationship, and having a BBQ by himself. The caption reads: “Face Reality: We’re not toxic, we’re the single elite! Valentine's Day? No thanks! We don’t celebrate basic holidays!”

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to IKEA HK for more information. 

McDonald’s Hong Kong

McDonald's Hong Kong has connected with Hongkongers this Valentine’s Day through Instagram and Facebook, presenting various romantic gifting ideas featuring its popular McDonaldland characters: Hamburglar (漢堡神偷), Grimace (滑嘟嘟), and Birdie (小飛飛).

This comes as the brand is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a year-long campaign aimed to highlight its role in the cherished memories of Hongkongers, uniting both young and old in a shared celebration of the brand’s significance in the city.

As part of the social campaign, McDonald's highlights a Grimace-themed purple chocolate set featuring nine chocolates, each highlighting different signature features. The caption reads, "Pout your lips and you'll know you want chocolate~."

In another post, there’s a bouquet of pink and yellow flowers paired with a card featuring Birdie, highlighting her signature colours. The caption reads, "Sending you the most beautiful flowers because you are my favourite!"

The third post depicts a romantic setting with candles, wine, and a McDonald’s signature hamburger on a plate, accompanied by a card featuring Hamburglar and the caption "For You." It reads: "You are the ultimate thief... you've stolen my heart!”

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to McDonald's HK for more information.

Pizza Hut Hong Kong

This Valentine's Day, Pizza Hut Hong Kong is getting playful with wordplay by unveiling a special menu called "Show Me Your Love," featuring a theme centred around corn and hazelnut.

The menu features a corn and meatball pizza called 粟米肉粒真愛批, a corn and meatball rice dish named 粟米肉粒真愛飯, and a French round mille-feuille known as 草莓榛子真愛酥.

To promote its Valentine's Day-themed menu, Pizza Hut has put up a social media post on Instagram and Facebook focused on the love story between corn and hazelnut. 

The post reads: “Corn and hazelnut are like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, and their limited-time pairing at Pizza Hut is a once-in-a-millennium opportunity.” It encourages customers to order from the themed menu to create lasting memories this romantic season.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Pizza Hut HK for more information.

Related articles:

Humourous or heartwarming: Roundup of V-day campaigns from brands in HK
Survey: Over 70% of HKers loosen purse strings on dining this V-day
Coca-Cola celebrates Valentine's Day with first drone show in HK