New month, new trends! February is packed with opportunities to engage your audience, from Valentine’s Day marketing campaigns to the latest social media updates. Here’s what’s hot in digital marketing right now.

What’s Trending?

2025 Pinterest Colour Palette 🎨

Pinterest’s trend predictions for 2025 are in, and these colours are set to dominate branding, marketing, and design:

❤️ Cherry Red – Bold and statement-making.
💛 Butter Yellow – Warm, playful, and positive.
💜 Aura Indigo – A moody lilac with cosmic vibes.
💚 Dill Green – Fresh, tangy, and eye-catching.
🤍 Alpine Oat – A chic, neutral go-to.

💡 How to use them? Try adding these colours to seasonal campaigns, social media visuals, and ad creatives for an on-trend look.

Minimalist Carousel Posts

Simple, text-based carousels are dominating Instagram and LinkedIn. This format is perfect for:

•  Quick marketing tips
• Industry insights & data
• Bite-sized educational content
• Storytelling & brand messages

💡 Pro tip: Use bold typography and high-contrast backgrounds to increase engagement and saves!

🩷Valentine’s Day Marketing Campaign Ideas🩷

Love is in the air—and so are huge marketing opportunities. With Valentine’s Day spending projected to hit $25.8B in 2025, here’s how brands can capitalise on the season:

1. Run a Valentine’s Day Promotion – Offer discounts on best-selling products or create V-Day bundles (think flowers + chocolates + a heartfelt card).

2. Engage with Interactive Content – Try polls, quizzes, or “This or That” posts to spark conversations around love and relationships.

3. Use Valentine’s Day Hashtags – Combine your branded hashtag with trending ones like #ValentinesDay #LoveIsInTheAir #SelfLove for maximum reach.

4. Host a Giveaway or Contest – Encourage followers to tag their Valentine, share a love story, or submit a user-generated content (UGC) post.

5. Go Live on Instagram or TikTok – Stream a behind-the-scenes look at your Valentine’s Day promotions, or host a live Q&A about love-themed products.

6. Launch a Special Landing Page – Create a V-Day-themed page featuring curated gifts, limited-time offers, and engaging content.

7. Celebrate All Forms of Love – Don’t just focus on couples! Acknowledge friendship, self-love, and pet love to connect with a wider audience.

8. Personalise with Custom Content – Share heartfelt messages, team love notes, or “Why We Love Our Customers” posts.

9. Play with Humour – Not everyone loves Valentine’s Day! Anti-Valentine’s content (e.g., “Singles Appreciation Sale” or “Treat Yourself” campaigns) can resonate with a lot of people.

10. Target New Audiences with Ads – Use social media ads to promote V-Day deals, increase engagement, and drive traffic to your website.

🍔 McDonald’s Nostalgia-Fueled Shamrock Shake Comeback Proves That Throwbacks Sell

McDonald’s is the latest brand to tap into this powerful emotional trigger by bringing back Uncle O’Grimacey—a character who hasn’t been seen in decades—to promote their iconic Shamrock Shake.

What They Did:

• Created a viral social media campaign featuring Grimace “discovering” his Irish roots via Ancestry.com, leading to a reunion with Uncle O’Grimacey.
• Launched limited-edition merch (shirts, pins, and hats) to capitalize on the throwback appeal.
• Used nostalgia to reignite love for the Shamrock Shake, a seasonal fan-favourite, while boosting brand engagement.

Why This Works:
Nostalgia taps into positive memories, making audiences feel connected to brands they grew up with. McDonald’s has mastered this formula, having previously seen success with the Grimace birthday campaign and adult Happy Meals.

Marketing Takeaways: How to Use Nostalgia in Your Brand Strategy

✅ Bring back a fan-favourite product or campaign – If your brand has a cult classic, now’s the time to revive it!
✅ Lean into retro aesthetics – Vintage design, film-style photos, and throwback filters all tap into nostalgia.
✅ Tell a story – McDonald’s used a playful “family reunion” narrative to create emotional engagement.
✅ Merge nostalgia with modern trends – The Ancestry.com tie-in made the campaign feel fresh, rather than just a repeat of past efforts.

Key takeaway? Nostalgia isn’t just a fun throwback—it’s a proven marketing tool that drives engagement, boosts sales, and builds lasting brand love.

📲 Social media updates to note from December

Instagram is making big changes—here’s what’s new:

• A new “Edits” app is in testing
• Reels are now 3 minutes long – more space for storytelling!
• Your profile grid is now vertical
• Highlights are moving to feeds
• Your liked Reels are now public

🗓️ Mark Your Calendars

❤️ 14 February – Valentine’s Day
Use this day to push romantic, funny, or self-love-themed content. Discounts, giveaways, and engagement-driven posts will work best.

🌸 17 February – Random Acts of Kindness Day
Encourage your audience to spread kindness—highlight feel-good stories, customer appreciation posts, or community initiatives.

🐾 20 February – National Love Your Pet Day
Celebrate furry friends! Feature team pets, customer pet stories, or pet-friendly product promos.

Regional Holidays:
🎉 February 6 – Waitangi Day – Acknowledge and celebrate Aotearoa’s history and culture.
🎭 February 25 – Mardi Gras – A fun opportunity for bold, colourful, and playful content.

Looking to take your marketing to the next level? From social media management and paid advertising to web design, SEO, and graphic design, Tailgunner has the tools to help your business grow. Why not start with a free discovery session to see how we can help? ✈️ Book your session today!