Get in the mood! Marketer’s know: Valentines = HUGE sales season. It can make or break the quarter. Relatable, relationship-centric creative that’s not over-the-top gross can take sales from so-so to STELLAR. Some brands’ Valentine’s creative is like throwing a hot dog down the hallway, coming nowhere close to touching our emotional core. Here, we’ll go all the way – past typical Valentine’s terminology and sealing the deal by flickering some candlelight on the human psychological needs of relationships.
So, if you desire something more than the typical Valentine words…
| Valentine
Cupid Chocolates Roses Red Pink |
Propose
Romantic Candlelit dinner Bouquet Heart(s) Flowers |
Secret Admirer
Mr. Right True love Fall in love Be Mine Love |
Indulge in a bevy of carefully crafted Valentine’s creative inspiration below.
What’s in a name? Terms for the Beloved
There are myriad ways we mere mortals refer to our significant other, more than just boyfriend/girlfriend. Married partners have terms of endearment that encompass hubby, wifey, and my rock. We’ve plotted ‘em all (well, most of them) on a scale from traditional to sweet to humorous and passionate. Marketers who opt for trendy, generational, or regional terms should tread carefully, being sure to dial in psychographic relationship persona qualifiers.
Sex Euphemisms and Double Entendres
Sex euphemisms are necessary for marketers to craft compelling copy without being downright explicit, which could get your ads disapproved. #ItsAllInTheTease To avoid a dishonorable discharge, we’ve cherry-picked the most common terms from over 400 sex euphemisms (I mean… if you’re curious 😉 ) and beyond.
| Netflix and Chill
Make Whoopee Being Intimate Afternoon delight Make(ing) babies |
Doing it
Go(ing) all the way Bang(ing) Boinking Getting it in/on |
Sexy time
Boning Shtupping Scene |
Silly Euphemisms
| Bedroom rodeo
Boom-boom Bow-chick-a-wow-wow Funch Sticking your key into the #Ignition Dipping the wick Amorous congress Carnal knowledge Dancing in the sheets Doing the deed Horizontal hustle
|
Wild thing Getting busy/down/some Hanky panky Having relations Hitting a home run Skin on skin Hot yoga Humping Jumping bones Knocking boots Making it Making love Mattress dancing
|
Getting frisky
Shagging Make the beast with two backs Assault with a friendly weapon Service of Venus Rocking ‘n’ rolling Rolling in the hay Rumpy-pumpy Screwing Shucking the oyster Doing the nasty bumpin’ and grindin’
|
Adjective Affair – Seducing with Sultry Descriptions
Writing for romance requires a love affair with amorous adjectives to craft compelling and delightful descriptions to seduce the reader to double-click their own mouse.
| Alluring
Bewitching Cute Beautiful Gorgeous Sexy Hot Erotic Intimate Luscious Seductive Sensual |
Sultry
Smoldering Adorable Charmed Intense Lovable Lovely Romantic Exquisite Essence Attractive Comely |
Glorious
Graceful Handsome Resplendent Splendid Stunning Dazzling Dazzlingly Ravishing Wonderful Sumptuous
|
Flirty Verbs to Ignite Desire
Along with adjectives, action verbs hold an underlying power thick in their grammatical meanings but also in their seductive intent. Igniting primal intrigue to drive the secretion of hormones that lead to clicks for passion, love, lust…
| Admire
Adore Cherish Show affection Amorous Blush Caress Charm Desire Embrace Enamor Enchant Delight Flirt Gallant Worship Intoxicating
|
Love
Passion Pine Randy Ravish Romance Seduce Smitten star-crossed Fated Swoon Succumb Tender Throb Vow Affair Revere
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Exalt
Glorify Honor Treasure Appreciate Hold dear Delight in Fall for Captivate Devote Endear Enrapture Hooked on Long for Smolder Attraction
|
Motivations for Relationships
Don’t get so wrapped up in words to woo that you completely forget why humans engage in interpersonal relationships. Motivations for relationships go way beyond sex and support and are incredibly important for advertisers to understand to excel with creative.
- Sex, intimacy and physical satisfaction
- Procreate
- Affection – physical and verbal
- Emotional support/validation
- Experiential – learn, grow, enjoy life with partner, be a part of a team
- Respect
- Control – to control or to give up control
- Support and to be supported
- Love and to be loved
Fundamentally, humans engage in relationships to fulfill the need of belonging. When it comes to a romantic partner they’re seeking to be reassured or find the answer to the question, “Can I be loved, wanted, desired, lusted after?” Which evolves to trust, “Can I trust this man/woman to continue to…” and the scariest of all, “can I… for the rest of my life.”
Romp in (Even) MORE Romance
| Bliss
Ecstasy Meant to be Passion Trust Heartfelt Dedicated Everlasting Faithful
|
Inexpressible
Lovable Lovingly Lucky Moonstruck Passionate Perfect Precious Profound
|
Sentimental
Steadfast Boundless love Love birds Desired/desiring Enduring Solidarity Sentimental Lovesick |
Advertisers who write for the emotion behind the impulse, the need, the desire…. will see greater success than those who simply throw a few cliché Valentine’s words in copy with a CTA. So, sit back, pop a red bottle, snack on chocolates, and light some candles to get down and dirty writing winning Valentine’s creative with the above inspiration ;).
