Brands Educating and Liberating Consumers This Valentine’s Day
Swedish self-care brand Estrid’s take on Valentine’s Day explores the benefits of masturbating and pushes the narrative that the best love is self-love. Dubbed Go F**ck Yourself, the campaign coincides with the launch of a limited-edition Valentine’s Day red razor starter kit, said to be inspired by the color of an orgasm, packaged in a box with the witty slogan “Go f**ck yourself…no, really.”
As part of the initiative, the brand surveyed several consumers and published the results to create a sense of community and lessen the taboo surrounding masturbation. The campaign also features several informative blog posts, including Seven Self-Care tips for Valentine’s Day and Masturbation: the myths and the juicy facts. For those who do not wish to purchase a razor kit, the Estrid website features free downloadable content such as a deck of cards with challenges written on them to encourage exploration, featuring suggestions like “Take a nude—for your eyes only.” A playlist titled Spicy Tunes is also available, composed of music those surveyed say they listen to when delving into moments of one-on-one pleasure.
There is a clear market for campaigns similar to Go F**ck Yourself as consumers wish to embrace education surrounding personal pleasure. In 2013, Ethan Imboden, founder of Jimmyjane, predicted, “We’re approaching the day when buying a vibrator will be as matter-of-fact as picking up a new electric toothbrush. Along the way, we’re seeing the hesitations in the media and society at large melt away, making room for a more informed discourse, a more consumer-centric marketplace, and ultimately, much happier end users.” Today, this statement is becoming increasingly true, with 84% of Americans agreeing that masturbation counts as self-care.
Lush is another company using Valentine’s Day to make a difference, partnering with Galop, a UK LGBT+ anti-abuse charity, to call on MPs to introduce legislation protecting the community against conversion therapy. A research report by the organization and YouGov found that 18% of LGBT+ people in the UK have been subjected to this practice, and despite the government’s promise to ban it in 2018, no legislation on the matter has been brought before Parliament to this day. From February 10-16, Lush is featuring windows across its UK stores that address the urgent need to prevent people of the LGBT+ community from being subjected to this unjust treatment. Customers visiting the stores can scan QR codes to send virtual Valentine’s cards to their local MP, urging them to “have a heart” and work to ban conversion therapy. They will also be invited to sign a giant Valentine’s Day card in stores that will be sent to Parliament after the campaign. As part of the initiative, Lush is launching a limited-edition washcard with the message “Proud to love you” written on it, with all money from sales (minus VAT) being donated to Galop.
All four campaigns are a sign that the beauty industry as a whole will no longer stand for repression, harassment, or shame surrounding sex. As 40% of Gen Z identify with patterns of attraction described as queer, it is important that the relatable message around self-discovery, sex, and relationships is portrayed so that younger generations and those who will follow behind them have strong foundations of knowledge on the subjects at hand. Whether it’s self, platonic, or romantic love being celebrated, beauty has something for everyone this Valentine’s Day.
