While chocolates, flowers, and other love-dovey things seem to be the focus of most events and promotions surrounding Valentine's Day, not one, but two companies tied product promotions to the February celebration with a far more unusual—if somewhat personal—marketing tactic. Dunkin' Donuts and K-Y Brand brought in dating and sex advisors to advertise their latest wares; for the donut chain it was advice from two supposed experts (a columnist and a cab driver) to advertise a new menu of oven-toasted foods, and for the lubricant brand it was sexual horoscope readings to draw attention to its latest warming jelly.
Although neither event really integrated its product with the advisors (unlike Godiva's recent chocolate-loaded promo), it was enough to draw the crowds and make a memorable impression. And to make sure no one could miss the stunts, media included, both promotions took place in high-traffic Midtown areas.At Herald Square, the tiny parcel of land opposite Macy's, Dunkin' Donuts set up several interconnected pink, orange, and white tents for a day-long promotion on Wednesday, which lured crowds with hot food and shelter from the rain. To entice people to stay beyond the time it took to wolf down a morsel of pizza, the northern area of the tents held a stage where Time Out New York's dating columnist, Julia Allison, and cab driver Ahmed Ibrahim dished out advice. (Ibrahim is a local celebrity cabbie, who has drawn attention from the media with his impromptu match-making services.) And for two hours in the afternoon, radio DJ Cindy Vero from WKTU hosted a competition where passersby were invited to share their coldest romantic moments.
For its marketing ploy, K-Y parked a mobile "Cosmic Love Clinic" in Times Square on Thursday, the stunt for its new line of Intrigue lubricant involving more sex-focused advice. From inside a decal-covered caravan, sextrologists—that would be astrologists who focus on sex and the sexes—Stella Starsky and Quinn Cox provided zodiac readings to individuals and couples. Bottles of the new lube filled the different velour-covered surfaces of the clinic, and a small corner contained a photo booth complete with kinky props. The goodies? Free samples of Intrigue Heat, a copy of Starsky and Cox's Sextrology: The Astrology of Sex and the Sexes, and fortune cookies with fortunes like "You'll look great wearing something you're not wearing now" inside.
Plenty of other companies also took to the streets for marketing opportunities. Nivea filled Times Square's Military Island with a maze of greenery for its "Garden of Love" promotion, and Virgin Atlantic Airways passed out free flowers and cards as part of its recently launched "Love From Above" campaign.
Although neither event really integrated its product with the advisors (unlike Godiva's recent chocolate-loaded promo), it was enough to draw the crowds and make a memorable impression. And to make sure no one could miss the stunts, media included, both promotions took place in high-traffic Midtown areas.At Herald Square, the tiny parcel of land opposite Macy's, Dunkin' Donuts set up several interconnected pink, orange, and white tents for a day-long promotion on Wednesday, which lured crowds with hot food and shelter from the rain. To entice people to stay beyond the time it took to wolf down a morsel of pizza, the northern area of the tents held a stage where Time Out New York's dating columnist, Julia Allison, and cab driver Ahmed Ibrahim dished out advice. (Ibrahim is a local celebrity cabbie, who has drawn attention from the media with his impromptu match-making services.) And for two hours in the afternoon, radio DJ Cindy Vero from WKTU hosted a competition where passersby were invited to share their coldest romantic moments.
For its marketing ploy, K-Y parked a mobile "Cosmic Love Clinic" in Times Square on Thursday, the stunt for its new line of Intrigue lubricant involving more sex-focused advice. From inside a decal-covered caravan, sextrologists—that would be astrologists who focus on sex and the sexes—Stella Starsky and Quinn Cox provided zodiac readings to individuals and couples. Bottles of the new lube filled the different velour-covered surfaces of the clinic, and a small corner contained a photo booth complete with kinky props. The goodies? Free samples of Intrigue Heat, a copy of Starsky and Cox's Sextrology: The Astrology of Sex and the Sexes, and fortune cookies with fortunes like "You'll look great wearing something you're not wearing now" inside.
Plenty of other companies also took to the streets for marketing opportunities. Nivea filled Times Square's Military Island with a maze of greenery for its "Garden of Love" promotion, and Virgin Atlantic Airways passed out free flowers and cards as part of its recently launched "Love From Above" campaign.
Dunkin\' Donuts offered up Time Out New York's Julia Allison.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash
Armed with microphones, Julia Allison and Ahmed Ibrahim gave dating advice to consumers from the Dunkin' Donuts stage, which looked like a talk-show set.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash
Later in the day WKTU's DJ hosted a competition on the Dunkin' Donuts stage.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash
Ovens inside the Dunkin' Donuts tents churned out samples of the oven-toasted menu, which includes pizzas, flatbread sandwiches, and hash browns.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash
Street teams under Dunkin's Donuts-branded umbrellas handed out samples, coupons, and postcards advertising the day's events.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash
A series of white-, pink-, and orange-colored tents provided shelter (and warmth) in Herald Square for Dunkin' Donuts's Valentine's Day stunt.
Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash
To reach the widest audience and attract a large amount of foot traffic, K-Y parked its bus on 45th Street in Times Square.
Photo: Chris Ross for BizBash
Using the date, time, and location of birth, sextrologists Stella Starsky and Quinn Coxx provided zodiac readings for couples and individuals.
Photo: Chris Ross for BizBash
Using a closet filled with accoutrements like feather boas, sequined masks, and silly hats, visitors to the bus could pose for photos.
Photo: Chris Ross for BizBash
Surrounded by red velour, feathery accents, and red rose petals, the inside of the bus doubled as a display for the various products from K-Y.
Photo: Chris Ross for BizBash
In addition to cookies and lubricants, K-Y's stunt gave guests copies of Starsky and Cox's interpretation of the zodiac signs, Sextrology: The Astrology of Sex and the Sexes.
Photo: Chris Ross for BizBash
