The Valentine’s issue is one of the most important issues for Flair. It was our aim to include a real reader into the cover story, making her favourite magazine an ally in her love life. So we decided to search for a reader who was actually waiting for a proposal but wanted to matters into her own hands.

We started with an intriguing appeal on Flair’s Facebook page and website:

“Are you tired of waiting for a proposal from your boyfriend? Let us know!” Hundreds of girls responded, the editors selected the right candidate. She starred in a secret fashion shoot wearing different wedding dresses, hairstyles and accessories. This resulted in the cover photo and a 6-page fashion editorial, including an interview with the bride-to-be. Right before the magazine hit the newsstands, the reveal took place. With a candid camera setup, Liene invited her boyfriend Stefano for a so-called Valentine’s Brunch. Stefano walked into the coffee bar where numerous Flair magazines were present. With his girlfriend on the cover, asking her big question. The moment he spotted the magazine, Liene kneeled, proposed and got a great big ‘yes’.

The story of Liene and Stefano reached around 1,2 million young women. The special Valentine story was also announced through a (national) radio commercial. The social film was trending on the Facebook page of Flair and on the website. Readers immediately started sharing the story and tagging other girlfriends in the comments, urging them to all propose themselves instead of waiting. This Valentine’s issue was the most talked about in years as it was equally well received offline and online (the interaction rate of the cover announcement on the Facebook feed raised by 75% that week).