Hit or Miss: The week in ads

Forget the clichéd roses and candlelit dinners. This year, Indian brands are celebrating love in all its messy, modern, and gloriously relatable forms. From meet-cutes over cold coffee to situationships that need a gift strategy, Valentine's 2025 is less about grand gestures and more about the small, authentic moments that actually matter.

Whether it's Fevicol using footwear as a metaphor for lasting bonds, or Flipkart creating an entire in-app experience around dating labels like ‘soft launch’ and ‘love bombing’, brands are tapping into the cultural pulse of contemporary relationships. They're acknowledging that love today doesn't follow a script, as it's spontaneous, digital, sometimes awkward, and always evolving.

This Valentine's Day, we're spotlighting campaigns that celebrate connection in its truest sense: thoughtful, intentional, and unapologetically real. Here's how India's top brands are making space for love, laughter, and everything in between.

Fevicol ShoeFix - “Valentine’s Day Footwear Jodi”
Fevicol’s latest campaign, “ShoeFix Se Valentine’s Day Par Footwear Ki Jodi Salamat Rahe” puts a playful twist on love and durability by focusing on footwear pairs instead of just couples. The ad uses Valentine’s Day as a backdrop to show how well-paired shoes (like a good relationship) stay strong together, with Fevicol ShoeFix holding them firmly. Through relatable, light-hearted visuals, the film turns a common problem (loose soles and worn-out shoes) into a fun metaphor for lasting bonds, positioning ShoeFix as the solution that keeps your favourite footwear together through every step.

Zouk Bags - "Make Space For Love"
Zouk has released a new campaign titled “Make Space for Love” that celebrates how romance often begins with a small, thoughtful gesture. Instead of grand declarations, the film focuses on simple moments (opening a door, offering a seat, sharing a smile) that can spark connection between people in everyday settings. Through warm visuals and relatable scenarios, the campaign positions Zouk as more than a venue or brand; it becomes a backdrop where genuine interactions and budding relationships unfold naturally. 

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Hershey’s - “Giving Kisses is Hard, but there's Hershey's Kisses”
Hershey’s has launched a Valentine’s Day campaign that playfully taps into public displays of affection (PDA) norms to celebrate love in all its forms. Instead of sticking to traditional romantic tropes, the ad explores how couples express affection differently, from subtle gestures to bold moments, and positions Hershey’s chocolate as a sweet companion to those expressions. Through relatable and light-hearted visuals, the campaign underscores that love isn’t one-sized; it’s personal, varied and best enjoyed when you’re being authentically you.

Tata Coffee Grand - "Too Cool To Have It Solo"
Tata Coffee Grand’s Valentine’s Day campaign celebrates the everyday meet-cute moments that spark connection over a cold coffee. Instead of grand romantic gestures, the ad highlights small, spontaneous interactions that feel warm, real and memorable. Through relatable everyday scenarios, the campaign positions Tata Coffee Grand Cold Coffee as more than a drink; it becomes the backdrop to authentic connections and budding chemistry.

CookieMan - “Happy Cookiestage”
Cookieman’s has launched its “CookieStage” campaign, putting a sweet and playful spin on Gen-Z dating culture by turning cookies into a fun metaphor for connection and chemistry. The ad frames cookie sharing and playful interactions as part of a light-hearted dating journey, blending youthful energy, relatable flirtation cues and quirky visuals to make the cookie experience feel social and emotionally engaging. Instead of just showcasing product features, the campaign leans into cultural moments that resonate with younger audiences, like playful banter, shared laughs and connection through food. 

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Tanishq - “Soulmate Diamond Pair”
Tanishq has launched a new campaign for its Soulmate Diamond Pair Rings, presenting them as symbols of shared love and connection between two people. The ad focuses on the emotional depth of relationships, showing how these matching rings capture not just style but a bond that speaks for both hearts. Through warm visuals and romantic cues, the campaign positions the pair of rings as meaningful expressions of togetherness, perfect for couples who want jewellery that reflects their unique journey and mutual commitment. 

Flipkart - “RelationShop”
Flipkart has launched “RelationShop”, a new in-app experience built around modern dating labels like situationship, soft launch, love bombing and moving on. Anchored by a digital film that taps into the awkward, self-aware humour of contemporary romance, the campaign leans into culturally relevant relationship jargon to connect with younger audiences. By curating gifting options around these evolving labels, the initiative blends pop-culture fluency with commerce, positioning the app as both emotionally aware and discovery-driven in the way it facilitates modern gifting.

WooHoo Gifting - “Woohoo Valentine's Workshop”
Woohoo Gifting by Pine Labs rolls out a witty Valentine’s Week ad set inside a boardroom at Woohoo. As employees discuss how the week presents a strong revenue opportunity, the meeting takes a humorous turn. The manager begins reviewing the “mistakes” made throughout the year, but instead of business errors, he highlights the romantic slip-ups the team has made with their partners. What follows is a comical flashback montage of forgotten dates, careless comments, and avoidable blunders. The film cleverly positions Valentine’s Week as a chance to rebuild goodwill, almost like paying a “love premium.” The solution? Woohoo, gift cards for travel, movies, and shopping, allowing partners to choose what they truly want.

District - “Plan Your Valentine’s Date”
District by Zomato’s latest campaign positions effort as the true currency of modern romance, with Ishaan Khatter leading the narrative. The film reframes date planning not as a last-minute scramble, but as an intentional act that signals care and thoughtfulness. By weaving in the platform’s reservation features and curated dining experiences, the campaign highlights how meaningful planning can elevate an evening. Through a contemporary, relatable lens, District underscores that in today’s dating culture, showing up prepared and with purpose speaks louder than grand gestures. 

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