Single or Taken? AJIO says celebrate Me-Day not V-Day

As Valentine's Day draws near, online fashion platform AJIO is shaking up the traditional narrative with its innovative #VdayNahiMeDay campaign. Aimed at empowering individuals to celebrate themselves, regardless of their relationship status, the campaign suggests an innovative solution ‘drip treatment’, created by a fictional mastermind Dr. Drip.

Conceptualised by Youngun, the campaign addresses prevalent issues in modern relationships. These are based on 'shocking statistics' that have been arrived at Dr. Drip's Rizz-Search Lab. "Two in 10 individuals have never been called ‘Baby’", "A staggering 23 million youths haven't received any Valentine's gifts", and "About 625 people suffer from 'situationships' every day". The Gen Z-friendly doc steps in with a vibrant array of colours and trendy styles, transforming Valentine's Day into a celebration of self.

The campaign cleverly taps into contemporary culture, urging individuals to prioritise 'fit checks' over 'DM checks' and 'fashion deals' over 'sad feels.' By embracing this ethos, AJIO aims to shift the focus from romantic love to self-love, encouraging everyone to indulge in retail therapy and embrace their uniqueness.

Saksham Jadon, CEO, and founder of Youngun, in a press note, said, "Me-Day is not just a campaign; it's a movement to redefine Valentine's Day. It's about embracing oneself, prioritising self-love, and indulging in retail therapy. AJIO's commitment to empowering individuals aligns seamlessly with our vision to break stereotypes and celebrate uniqueness."

Simmi, brand strategy at Youngun said, "We’ve always seen people cribbing about being single and crying on Valentine’s Day. They're not at fault because we only made this day about romantic love, leaving singles feeling left out and other people focusing all their energy on their partners rather than themselves. Remember the saying "kisi aur ko bhi tabhi pyaar kar sakte hain jab khud se pyaar karte hain"? So, what better way to indulge in self-care than some retail therapy? To establish this sentiment, we came up with an ad idea showing a humorous lab setup where singles, portrayed as patients, are receiving the cure for their blues – a drip of self-love through retail therapy!"

The digital video is accompanied by an OOH campaign with quirky copy. "If you're stuck on your ex, 50% off on watches (time waste mat karo)", says one hoarding.

Increasingly, brands are looking to change the narrative around Valentine's Day. From a celebration of romantic love, brands are emphasising self-love. Mondelez's 5 Star has been consistently building an anti-culture narrative around Valentine's Day for a few years now by helping singles avoid this day of love. Recently Eloelo, a homegrown live social-media app, also joined this bandwagon. The company filed a nationwide petition on change.org to rename Valentine’s Day to #KunwaraDiwas.