Counter-intuitive advertising: A date with disruption

The eponymous campaign released by Mondelez just ahead of the yearly February marketing brouhaha taps into a “cultural truth” that has played out repeatedly in fashion, music, and social media, says the company. And that is, trends vamoose as soon as older people start embracing them. From skinny jeans to youthful slangs, the moment “uncles” seize on ideas, the youth turn and run, the advertisement seems to convey.  

It then goes on to urge young consumers to nominate their favourite uncles to be part of the Valentine’s Day celebrations and render the occasion “uncool” and therefore redundant. The brand even offers a “Date Allowance” to fund these uncles’ romantic endeavours, while recruiters earn a commission for their effort. According to Nitin Saini, vice-president of marketing at Mondelez India, the campaign is designed to resonate with singles who feel alienated by Valentine’s Day. “Our campaign speaks to those who often feel left out by the overwhelming romantic hype of the occasion,” he says. “Instead of conforming to the celebration, we encourage them to opt out and embrace the joy of doing nothing.”

Mondelez India has increased its ad spends by almost 15% to `1,603 crore in FY24. The new campaign, created in collaboration with Ogilvy, has been rolled out across platforms — from Instagram and YouTube to TV placements and strategic partnerships in cinema and retail. The interactive website, destroyvalentinesday.com, encourages user participation, turning the audience into co-conspirators rather than passive spectators.

This engagement is crucial in today’s digital age, where consumers are bombarded with ads. Mohit Ghate, co-founder of Wit & Chai, notes, “When a brand takes a countercultural position and does it right, it immediately stands out from the firehose of marketing a consumer is subjected to on a daily basis.”

The campaign is completely in line with the brand’s “Do Nothing” position, and with over 20,000 registrations so far, it has sparked conversations, memes, and even WhatsApp forwards. In other words, a big part of the job done.

Job done?

Should marketers expect such counter-intuitive marketing to lead to a sales spike? A sales spike might not be a primary objective for the brand. 5 Star’s parent company, Mondelez India, enjoys almost a 60% share in the chocolate market, according to experts. Simultaneously, Cadbury is pushing its Dairy Milk Silk as its “pro-Valentine’s” offering, embedded with hearts. Meanwhile, by poking fun at the idea of Valentine’s Day, 5 Star has cemented its position as a brand that doesn’t take itself—or societal expectations—too seriously.

Humour, as it turns out, is a key driver of brand recall, especially for impulse-buy products like chocolates. Yasin Hamidani, director of Media Care Brand Solutions, explains, “Humour-driven ads work better for snackable, impulse-buy products because they create an immediate, positive association without requiring deep emotional investment. Consumers don’t need a sentimental connection to grab a chocolate bar, but a witty, relatable ad can make the brand top-of-mind when they’re making a purchase decision.”

The challenge lies in ensuring that the humour lands well across age groups without offending anyone. “Humour works best when it’s inclusive and when we laugh together,” says Nisha Sampath, managing partner, Bright Angles Consulting. The ridiculous image of the ‘romantic uncles’ in the 5 Star ad is fictitious and exaggerated — so it will not alienate anyone, young or old, she says. Agrees Anjali Chopra, associate professor of Marketing at K J Somaiya Institute of Management. “Good old-fashioned clean humour clicks with audiences and the message from the brand is easy to understand,” she says.

At the end of the day, an anti-Valentine’s Day campaign is still a Valentine’s Day campaign. As Ayush Nambiar, director of Flags Communications, points out, “It’s not rebellion, it’s just another way of cashing in on the occasion.”