MarketingInsideOut.com

For someone who watches the Super Bowl for the commercials only (except next year when the Cleveland Browns will be playing of course), I LOVE the commercialization of Valentines Day! Bring on the hours of television ads featuring heart-shaped diamonds, pink and red flower bouquets and the wide variety of greeting cards that provide 1,000 ways to say “I Love You.” According to Forbes Magazine, the National Retail Federation’s 2008 Valentine’s Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey has estimated that consumers will spend approximately $17 billion on the holiday. That’s approximately $123 per person celebrating the love affair, which is up from $120 last year.

Along with traditional advertising tactics, many companies are interactively involved in promotional contests that play off the holiday’s theme. 1-800-FLOWERS.COM recently announced their winner of the “The Valentines Day Song – The Greatest Love Story Contest,” which asked people to upload their love story related video. The winning video, produced by “Traphik” is featured on YouTube today and sure to get you in the mood for love.