# Sugar-Canceling Valentine's Day Ads HighKey Encourages People to Ditch Sugar this Valentine’s Day By Grace Mahas | Published 2021-02-12 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/highkey References: [highkey](https://highkey.com/) & [maximumeffort](https://www.maximumeffort.com/) According to a recent survey, 86% of Americans report they will share a gift of chocolate or candy for Valentine’s Day. To combat this exorbitant amount of sugar intake, [HighKey](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/alliance-to-control-excessive-sugar), the beloved online chocolate chip cookie brand, partnered with Ryan Reynolds’ marketing firm [Maximum Effort](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/prime-video-series) to encourage people to "cancel sugar" this [Valentine's Day](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dr-pepper-zero-sugar-cherry-crush). The campaign includes a commercial staring 'Sugar Panda' that depicts a cautionary tale of what can happen when we eat too much sugar, including tooth decay, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Co-CEO Joe Ens commented, “We’re on a mission to help Americans cut sugar from their diet, but to pull it off, we need to disrupt the norm. There is not a more disruptive creative partner than Ryan Reynolds and Maximum Effort to help shake up the American diet.” Image Credit: HighKey ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 1.4/10 - Popularity: 8% | Activity: 25% | Freshness: 9% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Sugar-canceling Marketing:** Marketing campaigns that aim to reduce sugar intake through creative messaging, campaigns, and advertising. - **Alternative Valentine's Day Gifts:** Non-traditional gift options to promote healthy lifestyle choices, including experiences, subscriptions, and personalized items. - **Healthy Snacks:** The creation and marketing of healthier snack alternatives, especially those that target specific dietary restrictions or lifestyle choices. ### Who This Affects Most - **Food and Beverage:** Developing and marketing new food and beverage products that cater to a more health-conscious consumer base. - **Marketing and Advertising:** Creating targeted marketing campaigns that promote healthier lifestyles and provide education about the negative effects of excessive sugar consumption. - **E-commerce:** Developing and promoting e-commerce stores that focus on selling healthy and sustainable food options in place of traditional Valentine's Day gifts. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Shareable Low-Sugar Candies](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smartsweets-strawberry-hearts.md) - [Better-For-You Valentine's Bundles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ncks-launched.md) - [Anti-Black Friday Chocolate Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fatso-black-friday-campaign.md) - [Cross-Brand V-Day Initiatives](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mcbride-sisters-collection.md) - [Naughty Valentines Day Treats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sugar-wood.md) - [Charitable Heart Awareness Donations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/red-chocolate.md) - [High-Quality Valentine's Day Treats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/evolved-strawberry-cream-cups.md) - [Anti-Valentine's Dinner Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sour-hearts-social-club.md) - [Parody Soda Ads](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/break-from-artificial.md)