The Brief
Valentine's Day is a crowded category. Teddy bears, boxed chocolates, flowers — the gifting script writes itself. This campaign needed to carve out a distinct lane: something playful and emotionally resonant without being precious, sweet without being saccharine. The brief was to position Krispy Kreme's Valentine's collection as a fresh spin on gifting — doughnuts that say what you mean without requiring you to find the words.
My involvement went further than copy this time. I wrote all four product descriptions and the campaign intro, participated in the comprehensive creative review where the full marketing collateral was presented to the CMO and all key stakeholders, and was on set for the photo and video media days with Salt Paper Studio + Productions — Krispy Kreme's external creative agency. I reviewed the shot list, observed the full production process, and was a hand model in one of the paid media assets. The kind of behind-the-scenes access that makes the copy better.
Copywriting
Campaign intro, four product descriptions, catering and retail copy across web, signage, and social.
Creative Review
Participated in the comprehensive CMO review — full collateral presentation with all marketing stakeholders before launch.
On-Set Production
Present for photo and video media days at Salt Paper Studio + Productions. Reviewed shot lists, observed lighting, staging, and direction — and appeared as a hand model in paid media.
The Work
Here's the campaign copy as it ran — intro, four product descriptions, and channel extensions.
Say it with Doughnuts.
Valentine's Day usually comes with the usual gifts of teddy bears and boxed chocolates — but there's nothing that says they're the only right gifts. This year, there's a sweeter option. With Krispy Kreme's Valentine's Day Doughnut Collection, we put a fresh spin on gifting with doughnuts that say whatever is on your heart. Sweet, playful, and made to share, these treats help you share your love without words.
Product Descriptions
I Love You a Choco-Lot Doughnut
Chocolate-filled, red-iced, heart-shaped indulgence
Spread the love with our I Love You a Choco-Lot doughnut. This heart-shaped doughnut is filled with a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate flavored Kreme™ and dipped in vibrant red vanilla flavored icing. Finished with a chocolate icing ribbon and confectionary bow, this sweet treat is the perfect way to celebrate love, friendship, or simply yourself.
Teddy Bear Cookies & Kreme™ Doughnut
Cookies & Kreme filled, chocolate dipped, adorable
Give your sweet tooth a bear hug with the Teddy Bear Cookies & Kreme™ doughnut. This heart-shaped treat is filled with dreamy Cookies & Kreme™, blending crunchy cookie bits with velvety smoothness. Dipped in rich chocolate icing and finished with an adorable bear face, it brings a smile to any moment.
You're Berry Sweet Doughnut
Strawberry iced, fluffy Kreme filled sweetness
Whether you're spreading love or treating yourself, the You're Berry Sweet doughnut is the perfect way to show someone you care. This heart-shaped doughnut is filled with a smooth, fluffy Kreme™, dipped in fruity strawberry flavored icing, and piped with a playful red vanilla flavored icing for that extra pop of color. Topped with a sweet "XOXO" sugar piece, this doughnut is bursting with love and flavor all in one.
Sprinkled with Love Doughnut
Original Glazed® with buttercreme, heart sprinkles
Spread love with every bite. The Sprinkled with Love doughnut takes our timeless classic Original Glazed® and pipes it with smooth buttercreme flavored frosting. Finished with vibrant heart-shaped sprinkles in pink and red, this treat is the perfect way to show your affection.
Channel Extensions
The copy extended into catering and retail — two distinct audiences, two distinct entry points.
Catering
From office crushes to Galentine's parties, spread the love with catering. Valentine's Day Specialty Dozen Bundles available for groups — because the best way to say you care is to make sure there's enough for everyone.
Retail
Can't make it to a shop? The Valentine's Day Specialty 6 CT Assorted Doughnuts are available at select Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Stater Brothers, and more — delivered fresh daily. The collection, wherever you are.
Behind the Campaign
The copy is only part of what I took away from this project. Being on set at Salt Paper Studio + Productions — a 15,000 square foot commercial photography and production house — gave me a ground-level view of how a campaign actually gets made. I watched the shot list get executed in real time: the lighting decisions, the product styling, the gap between what the brief says and what the camera sees. I was present for both photo and video media days.
I also appeared as a hand model in one of the paid media assets — which, beyond being a genuinely memorable experience, taught me something concrete about how brands think about representation and authenticity in campaign photography. The hands holding the product are a creative decision. Everything is a creative decision.
And the CMO review was its own kind of education. Watching how the full collateral suite gets pressure-tested against brand standards, campaign objectives, and stakeholder priorities — before a single asset goes live — made the strategic logic behind every copy choice much clearer. You write differently when you've sat in that room.
Salt Paper Studio + Productions
Full-service commercial photography and videography production house. 15,000 sq ft studio, Rock Hill, SC. Clients include Lowe's, Krispy Kreme, Electrolux, Circle K, and Firstleaf.
What I Learned
The gap between writing a product description and understanding how it'll be used is wide. This campaign closed it for me. Seeing the photo set, the shot list, the collateral review — and then seeing my words end up on a doughnut box and a paid media asset — made the stakes of every word choice feel real in a way they don't when you're just staring at a brief. Good campaign copy isn't written in isolation. It's written in conversation with the visual, the channel, and the consumer moment. I know that differently now than I did before this project.