Lotte India recasts Valentine’s Day as ‘Palentine’s Day’ with Pepero friendship campaign

Lotte India is shifting the focus of Valentine’s Day this year, turning it into “Palentine’s Day” a celebration centred on friendship rather than romance.

Through its Pepero Palentine’s campaign, the brand leans into the idea that for Gen Z, close friendships often matter more than traditional romantic gestures. Instead of roses and candlelight dinners, the campaign highlights everyday bonds, inside jokes, and the kind of easy companionship that defines modern friendships. The message is simple: while romance has its place, friendships can be just as meaningful and sometimes even sweeter.

To bring this idea alive, Pepero has collaborated with six popular creators who showcase their own Palentine’s moments with friends. Their content focuses on unfiltered, relatable interactions from shared chaos to small, funny rituals reflecting how younger audiences actually celebrate their closest relationships. The campaign avoids over-the-top romantic tropes and instead focuses on genuine, long-lasting connections that add joy to daily life.

The initiative also extends beyond social media. Pepero is encouraging people to tag their own “Palentines,” inviting users to publicly celebrate their friendships and make them part of the season’s conversations. In doing so, the brand is nudging friendship into the spotlight as a form of love worth recognising.

Pepero’s presence on quick-commerce platforms supports this idea of spontaneous sharing. With fast delivery options, consumers can send a pack to a friend at short notice, turning small gestures into shared moments. The campaign positions Pepero as an easy, shareable treat for Gen Z and young consumers, linking the act of sharing snacks with celebrating friendships.

With Palentine’s Day, Lotte India is reframing the Valentine’s narrative, putting friendships at the centre and suggesting that when it comes to love, friends deserve to be celebrated too.