The Ultimate Valentine's Day Gift Guide For Your Brand

Ah, Valentine's Day: the day of love, commonly celebrated by showering your amour with romantic gifts. However, the big occasion is not limited purely to your significant other. Rather, this is the perfect opportunity for your business to spread the love among your customers and staff with the help of promotional merchandise.

If you're not quite sure how you can make your clients melt this Valentine's Day then you're in luck. We've rounded up the best branded items to show your audience they are truly appreciated.

What Is Valentine's Day And Where Does It Originate From?

During the Roman period, Emperor Claudius II outlawed marriage. However, Saint Valentine continued to conduct marriages between men and women in secret. When the Emperor discovered this, Valentine was sentenced to death. Whilst he was in prison, he fell in love with the jailer's daughter and when he was taken to be executed, he sent her a love letter signed 'from your Valentine'.

Today, we celebrate love on the date of Saint Valentine's death, February 14th.

The Most Common Valentine's Day Traditions Amongst Brits

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Valentine's Day? Red roses, Cupid's bow, love hearts, chocolate...? If so, you won't be surprised to hear that all of these have been part of Valentine's traditions for many years.

1. Red Roses

Did you know that red roses aren't gifted to loved ones just because of their beautiful scent? They're a traditional gift because they are considered to be the favourite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. Let's be honest: if the goddess of love approves then it's only right to gift to your loved ones - and even customers, for that matter!

Fun fact: approximately 50 million roses are received on Valentine's Day around the world!

It doesn't end there. The hue of a red rose conveys deep emotions of longing, love and desire. Additionally, the number of roses that are gifted portray a specific meaning; a dozen roses are connected with the messages 'I love you' and 'be mine'.

With that in mind, a red rose might not be the perfect item for your campaign - but our Pop Up Vases certainly will be!

Manufactured from unbreakable PVC plastic, these printed vases are stored flat (ideal for sending in the post) and once filled with warm water your clients can shape the vase as they wish. Personalised with your custom message, these branded vases will let flowers flourish, all the while effortlessly flaunting your brand over and over again.

2. Valentine's Day Cards

There is some debate about who sent the first Valentine's Day card. One theory is that when the Duke of Orleans was a prisoner in the Tower of London in 1415, he sent the very first V-Day card to his wife. However, some believe that Saint Valentine himself was the pioneer behind the idea with the card he sent to his lover on the day of his execution.

Our A6 Greeting Cards are the perfect way to show your appreciation and guarantee brand awareness with heart. Printed with your full colour custom design on the outside and inside of the card, it offers maximum impact for your branding. These personalised cards also have a gloss lamination to the front for a finish that's both luxurious and professional finish.

3. Cupid And The Heart

Cupid is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection - not to mention that he's the son of Venus! Cupid is one of the ancient symbols associated with Valentine's Day, and is also linked to doves, the colours red and pink and the heart symbol. Today, he is traditionally pictured as a small winged figure with a bow and arrow, which is used to strike the hearts of people, hence where the 'struck by Cupid's arrow' saying comes from.

The heart is a common symbol that represents love. It was once believed that the heart was the part of the body where the feeling of love radiated from - as the heart pumped red blood around the body, the colour began to represent love. The Egyptians placed so much value on the heart, due to their belief that it held memories and emotions, that it was the only organ they kept in the body during mummification.

Our Heart Shaped Mint Tins are a sure way to keep your brand beating - and your customers' breath minty fresh for their V-Day date! Choose from striking red or white tins and personalise with your company logo printed or engraved to the lid to ensure your brand is noticed with every use.

4. Wearing Your Heart On Your Sleeve

Ever wondered where the saying 'wearing your heart on your sleeve' originated from? Well, a tradition began in the Middle Ages whereby men and women would draw names from a bowl to see who would be their Valentine. Once drawn, they would then wear the piece of paper on their sleeve for a week, thus creating the saying we know today.

Okay: a piece of paper with your company logo might not have the wow-factor you're seeking but these Full Colour Square Cufflinks certainly do! Printed with your design to both links, these eye-catching branded cufflinks really allow your customers to wear your brand on their sleeves. Presented in a display box for a professional and elegant touch, this is a fantastic high-perceived value giveaway.

5. Heart-Shaped Chocolate Boxes

Richard Cadbury first gifted chocolates presented in a heart-shaped box to his wife in 1861. Fast-forward to today and loveable heart-shaped boxes filled with mouth-watering chocolates overwhelm the shelves of UK supermarkets. And, in the words of cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, "all you need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt!".

Our Custom Printed Dairy Milk Chocolate Bars 110g are perfectly suited for this V-Day tradition, especially as Dairy Milk has been voted as Brit's favourite chocolate. These bars of Cadbury's Dairy Milk Chocolate feature outer sleeves printed with your company name, guaranteeing brand exposure with every temptation.

TM's Top Picks For Your Valentine's Campaign

Oh but that's not all, Total Merchandise has a huge range of promotional products that are sure to win their way to your customers' hearts. Read on to discover some of our favourite Valentine's inspired branded items, all waiting to be printed with your company logo.

To make your clients' tastebuds tingle, why not gift them with these adorable Love Heart Mini Rolls? Each features a paper wrapper, printed with your custom design in stunning full colour for a completely bespoke look.

If you're looking for an item that brings long-lasting brand awareness as well as a luxurious, high-end look, then these Optical Crystal Clear Heart Paperweights tick all of the boxes! Engraved with your custom message, your clients will be reminded of your business every day thanks to this thoughtful gift.

For your Valentine's Day campaign take a note from The Notebook (pun definitely intended) - AKA the ultimate V-Day flick. "It's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard, we're gonna have to work at this every day, but I want to do that because I want you..." Although it's not going to be hard, it is going to be really easy to leave an impression with your customers thanks to our range of fantastic Valentine's Day promotional merchandise.

Main image from Pexels.