Marketing companies release new vaccine called Valentine to celebrate VD

They let Pohela Boishakh go by, they have let Eids go by, but after nearly 11 months of letting special occasions just pass them by, the marketing companies have had enough.

They are not prepared to let the mother of all cash cows -- Valentine's Day -- go by.

"This is a perfect case of commerce meeting philanthropy," said Bitla Communications and Marketing Corporation (BC,MC) CEO Russel Raihan.

The perfect case of commerce meeting philanthropy he talked about is the development of a new Covid-22 vaccine, called Valentine, that hit the market on Valentine's Day.

"Firstly, the new vaccine will help end this pandemic. Secondly, it will encourage millions of lovers to celebrate the day. Thirdly, it gives us the chance to promote various products and services, offer marketing and branding solutions to our clients -- everyone wins," Raihan said.

BC,MC is part of a marketing company collective that has worked together to find a solution to the pandemic and the detrimental effects it has had on their line of work.

"While people are back to normal and more or less conducting their usual lives again, we can't always market brands and things like hotel stays and restaurant deals, because people will think we are indirectly advocating for health risks," a member of the marketing collective said, requesting maximum publicity. "So we did what we do best -- we market-researched. We found that what we need is a vaccine. And we need to market that vaccine at a time when faith in vaccines is high…we just lucked out on that coinciding with Valentine's Day."

With the development of the vaccine, she said, the collective has the upper hand with all the companies they serve, who now have to pay 50 percent more on their contracts to get the vaccines. That's still a steal, she added. 

Valentine (the vaccine) will only be available on Valentine's Day, according to the collective's website. It will be available in various forms -- in special heart-shaped perfume bottles, in powder form to be sprinkled on food in participating restaurants, in chocolates placed on pillows in participating hotels, etc. – visit the website for full details.

"The goal is to get as many young people to get out, congregate as they used to and get the vaccine," Raihan added. "As research – not ours, so there's that – shows, they are the ones who spread the virus the most."

Asked if Valentine is as effective as the other vaccines out there, he said it is in fact more effective.

How did they develop it?

"We used sugar and spice and everything nice. Don't get clever, you wouldn't understand. And also, our research shows it's all in the mind, so what we are selling is positivity, and the vaccine."