As the voice of the industry, SAF contacts companies – such as the Danbury Mint and WineShop At Home – that include negative references to flowers in promotions and asks them to reconsider their approach.
“They’re ba-ack!” The popular catchphrase from a mid-1980s horror flick haunted Jenny Scala, director of marketing and communications at the Society of American Florists, when she opened the e-mail from Kathy Weatherford of Hood’s Florist and Gifts in North Charleston, South Carolina.
“We happened to see this ad from Danbury Mint in the Parade Magazine,” Weatherford wrote. “It negatively refers to roses and thought this is the type of advertising/publicity you like to know about.”
Weatherford’s e-mail included a scanned image of the Danbury Mint ad, which read: “Why give her a dozen red roses, when you can give her a dozen rubies … Flowers quickly fade …”
As the voice of the industry, SAF contacts companies that include negative references to flowers in promotions and asks them to reconsider their approach.
The last time SAF contacted the Danbury Mint was in 2014.
“After reaching out to Danbury Mint numerous times since 2005, we thought our persistence paid off,” Scala said. “The Danbury Mint Valentine’s Day 2015 jewelry catalog did not contain any flower-bashing language, and we haven’t heard any reports on their advertising since then.”
Along with the ad in Parade magazine, the Danbury Mint features unflattering references to flowers on its website: “10 Gifts She Really Wants This Year (Hint: not drugstore chocolates and wilted flowers),” “it’s time to forego that usual store-bought flowers,” “Real roses that will never wilt or fade… Normal store-bought flowers wilt after two weeks.”
In a Jan. 19 email to Danbury Mint, SAF asked, “Why the change of heart this year?”
SAF also reached out WineShop At Home on Jan. 18 for its tongue-in-cheek ad, “Send wine to your Valentine! (because you can’t drink flowers).”
“The main point of SAF’s response is to bring attention to the floral statements, and ask advertisers to promote products on their own merits,” Scala said.
In 2017, SAF responded to 23 cases of negative floral publicity at Valentine’s Day. By way of comparison, in 2016, SAF responded to 23 cases; 16 cases in 2015; 16 in 2014; 10 cases in 2013; 18 in 2012; and 39 in 2011.
Forward harmful floral publicity to Scala at jscala@safnow.org.
