Relate Unveils Valentine's Ads Celebrating Great… Communication

Leading relationships charity, Relate has unveiled a new campaign for Valentine’s Day promoting great communication. The series of four poster executions features close-up shots of lips, tongues and fingers with the tagline ‘Gifts Don’t Make Relationships. Conversations do’. The posters will break over the weekend and run nationwide on Valentine’s Day. 

Relate is England and Wales’ largest provider of relationship support for individuals, couples and families of all ages, backgrounds, sexual orientation or gender identity, providing counselling, sex therapy, mediation, training courses and online self-help. Communication lies at the heart of healthy relationships and these ads remind everyone that happy relationships are driven by authenticity and honesty.

“The best way to build healthy relationships of all kinds is to share feelings and problems rather than bottle them up or paper over the cracks. Especially now, when the effects of what we’ve all been through in recent times are still coming to the fore. This series of posters reminds people not to underestimate the gift of honest, authentic connection this Valentine’s Day.” Sarah Milsom director of communications and engagement, Relate. 

“The simple fact is it that many of us need intimacy now more than ever, and communication is the bedrock of healthy and happy relationships. As a society we are obsessed with love and affection, it can be easy to forget that simple authentic conversation is what defines connection, happiness and intensity.” Jules Chalkley, chief ECD, Ogilvy UK

In addition, Relate and advertising agency Ogilvy UK have released a timely tactical ad celebrating sex and intimacy in later years. The poster and film, directed by Academy Films director Frederick Paxton, will also go live on Valentine’s Day. They are a follow up to the award-winning 2021 campaign ‘Let’s Talk The Joy of Sex’. The original campaign saw renowned British photographer, Rankin, shoot five older couples and one woman in their most intimate settings and explored everything from long-term love to new adventures, tender intimacy to the more risqué. The posters won countless awards and empowered everyone to think and talk about sex and intimacy as we grow older. The follow-up poster and film is an arresting image that challenges the accepted norms of later life love. 

“We should continue the conversation about the joys of later life sex. The aim of this cheeky ad is to dispel the notion that older people shouldn’t, couldn’t and wouldn’t want to have sex and intimacy, which contribute to mental health, happiness and physical wellbeing. This ad builds on creating a new visual language of love.” Jules Chalkley, chief ECD, Ogilvy UK

“It’s a subject too many of us shy away from or rarely talk about. Sex and intimacy in later life are seemingly taboos, but why? We want to continue to encourage people across the generations to have a national conversation about the importance of these issues, and for anyone who needs support to be able to talk to their partner, friends, family, doctor or Relate.” Sarah Milsom director of communications and engagement, Relate. 

Relate offers counselling, information, mediation and support to individuals, couples and families. They also provide expert training for relationship support practitioners, sex therapy and a range of online information and self-help. Find out more at here.