24 Tried-and-Tested Valentine’s Day DPA Ideas

Hey there

2 weeks to Valentine’s Day - most brands are already running ads to promote sales, combo offers, new launches and more.

I’m sure your catalog ads are also up and running. But, if everyone’s running the same ads, how do yours stand out? 

I hate to break it to you – they probably don’t ☹️

But no worries - we examined brands like Gap, New Balance, Brilliant Earth, Hamley’s Armani and other eCommerce giants to see how they tackle this problem, and the strategies we found are pretty amazing.

Synopsis;

• Apparel, cosmetics, jewelry, accessories, gifts - if you’re selling any of these, you MUST download the Valentine’s Day DPA Guide. It contains tried-and-tested strategies from top eCommerce brands like Gap, New Balance, Armani, Brilliant Earth and many more.

• The problem - Everyone’s running Valentine’s Day DPA ads right now. How will your ads stand out? We took a look at the top eCommerce brands to see how they tackled this problem.

• The solution - Stylized Catalog Ads. Branded catalog ads that are more engaging, different from other ads and generate more revenue.

  Download Valentine’s Day DPA Guide

Read on to see how effective Stylized Catalog Ads are, and how you can set these up immediately.

Easy Valentine’s Day Frames

It might seem too simple, but the guys over at Hamley’s know a secret - the simplest solution is usually the best. Seasonal frames instantly grab attention and create an emotional connection with the audience. 

By adding Valentine’s elements like hearts, roses, or shades of red, you can make your products feel timely and perfect for gifting.

Why It Works:

• Grabs Attention: Stands out in crowded feeds.

• Builds Context: Signals it’s ideal for Valentine’s Day.

Highlight Gift Options

Currently, clueless dudes all over the world are scrambling to find suitable gifts for their spouses. Brilliant Earth made it easier for them by highlighting good gift options, combined with a price tag that immediately tells them if they can afford it.

Showcasing curated collections with discounts or “Perfect for Valentine’s” messaging triggers urgency and makes your products feel ideal for the occasion.

Let customers know about sale events

Sure, everyone writes “Valentine’s Day Sale - 30% OFF” in the caption, but is it really that eye-catching? A simple solution is to add the price in the catalog ad creative itself!

This idea was employed by most of the brands we observed - and before you say it, no, these are not simple ads. All of these are stylized catalog ads, and every single one of the ads has this overlay.

Why It Works:

• Urgency: Promoting sale events creates a sense of urgency, encouraging customers to act quickly before the offer expires.

• Value Proposition: Shoppers love a good deal, and making the sale visible adds extra value, motivating customers to take action.

• Increased Traffic: Clear sale messaging drives more visits to your site, as customers are always on the lookout for special discounts, especially around holidays.

Add Reviews to Catalog Ads

If you’re buying someone a gift, you’ll naturally look for one that will make them very happy. If you add a review to that product image, you’re just telling them, “Hey look, someone already bought this as a gift, and now their spouse is over the moon!”

Basically, your customers are selling your products for you. You just gotta add the review.

Combo Offers

This one’s a little tricky, so bear with me here. Since Valentine’s Day is a couples thing, Gap and Sephora created a bunch of “couple combos” - basically an added discount on certain items purchased together. This encourages customers to buy more products, and it plays right into the whole Valentine’s theme.

And, of course, they promoted these combos through catalog ads. 

Why It Works:

• Increases Average Order Value (AOV): Shoppers are motivated to buy more when bundled with a discount.

• Appeals to the Gift Giver’s Mindset: Perfect for customers looking to buy gifts for multiple people or pamper their loved ones.

• Highlights Value: Makes your products feel like a great deal, especially with stylized, eye-catching visuals.

Launch New Collections in Style

If you’ve made a special “Valentine’s Day” collection (like New Balance, Fashion Nova and H&M did) - you need to promote it as much as possible. And one of the best ways is branded catalog ads - every product from that collection has a special overlay that tells customers that this is a brand new collection. 

Why It Works:

• Exclusive Appeal: Customers love feeling like they’re getting something special, and a curated collection adds an exclusive touch to your offerings.

• Seasonal Relevance: It makes your products feel timely and tailored for the occasion, aligning perfectly with customers’ needs for thoughtful gifts or personal indulgences.

• Brand Identity: A well-crafted, themed collection reinforces your brand’s identity and positions it as an expert in the Valentine’s Day shopping experience.

So there you have it - this is how the pros roll out their Valentine’s Day ads. You can bookmark these examples (and more ideas) by clicking on the button below.

If you’re looking for a quick way to implement these ideas, you can get started asap with RetainIQ.

RetainIQ allows you to quickly generate thousands of stylized catalog ads in seconds.

How does it work? All of these creatives are saved as templates on the RetainIQ platform. All you have to do is choose a template, and connect your product feed (the one you use to generate catalog ads on Meta). The platform will do the rest.

In minutes, all of your catalog ads will be transformed into branded, engaging creatives which will generate additional revenue.

Want to see the platform in action? Sign up for a trial asap; because Valentine’s Day is coming in just 2 weeks!