The Death of Traditional Romance

LONDON, February 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

• Text messages and online greetings are killing off the traditional Valentine's Card
• 46 per cent of Brits swap cards for texts to say 'I love you'
• 53 per cent of men think doing the dishes constitutes a Valentine's Day treat

Forget Valentine's cards, perfumed letters and lavish meals out - the humble text message is the new way to say 'I love you' this year.

Almost of half us (46 per cent) now admit swapping traditional greetings for mobile media when it comes to sharing our feelings.

Another one in five (19 per cent) of us opts to declare our love on Facebook, while ten per cent of those quizzed said they'd take to Twitter to say something soppy instead of sending a card.

New research by pudding brand lovetub found that our passion for mobile technologies could signal the death of love notes and cards altogether.

The survey of 2,004 British adults found that saying it with a phone was most popular among 18 to 24 year olds, with more than two-thirds (67 per cent) saying they would share their love via text.

Just 27 per cent said they would bother crafting a letter and only 14 per cent would pen a poem for their loved one.

And it seems some would-be Romeos have a lot to learn, with 62 per cent of us thinking making a cuppa constitutes a romantic gesture, and a quarter (26 per cent) walking the dog to show we care.

Unsurprisingly, men and women differed in their romantic ambitions. More than half of men (53 per cent) said they would show their love by washing the dishes compared to just 39 per cent of women, and 48 per cent thought taking out the rubbish was a way to show they care compared to 29 per cent of women.

Londoners were the most likely get physical, with over half (52 per cent) saying they would spice things up in the bedroom to show their feelings.

Boozy students were the most likely to hit the bar as a sign of their affection, with 61 per cent saying they would buy their loved one a drink.

But when it comes to physical contact, it seems the old ways are the best, with three quarters of us (78 per cent) showing their love through a daily hug or kiss.

Roberta Herd, brand manager at lovetub, said: "It seems the UK is embracing technology to share the love. We expect there'll be lots of loved up texts, tweets and Facebook messages this Valentine's Day, and fewer letters, verses, and sonnets.

"It's great to see that little gestures such saying 'I love you' or giving your partner a kiss and cuddle are the ways most of us like to get loved up, but slightly less encouraging to see that many think doing the dishes rates as a loving gesture!

"We're not exactly known as a nation of romantics, but Valentine's Day is the perfect time to buck the trend by sharing our love in new and imaginative ways."

Notes to editor

Until 7^th February, pudding lovers can feel the love and share the love for free. Get your hands on a free 100g lovetub Pudding by 'liking' the lovetub Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/lovetubpuddings) and downloading the printable coupon to redeem at your nearest Sainsbury's store*

lovetub is a warm, rich, melt-in-your-mouth pudding which can be found in the dessert chiller in selected Sainsbury's stores. Available in both Sticky Toffee Pudding and Chocolate Pudding flavours, lovetub can be microwaved to lip-smacking perfection in just 30 seconds, and eaten straight from the tub.

SOURCE Lovetub