Love coupon
Encyclopedia
A love coupon is a romantic way to say "I love you". It is a form of voluntary IOU
or promissory note
between people in love
that contains a promise from one of the partners in a relationship to engage in a romantic activity at a time in the future.
The love coupon contains a relevant artistic image or drawing, a romantic promise and sometimes redeeming conditions like expiration date
. At the core a love coupon is a love note that uses the coupon
metaphor
but it can also be seen as a very specialized form of greeting card
.
The promise made through the love coupon can range from romantic fantasies to taking care of domestic chores. Samples of romantic promises may include an evening of dancing, night of kisses and cuddles, evening of romance, romantic weekend getaway, boat ride for two, stroll on the beach or a romantic day trip, just to name a few.
, love and romance offer various forms of love coupons for download or as attachments for romantic email messages
. They can also be hand-made from coloured paper, cut into heart
-shape.
Another popular variant uses the scratchcard
metaphor. Created as scratch-off lottery tickets they are sold and marketed as romantic gifts for lovers. Usually all tickets are winners, but like lottery cards one has to find the winning item or combination. The winnings range from romance, love and sex and the gift giver has to fulfill them.
, in digital format as email
attachments, handed in person at the right moment or placed as surprises in places where the receiver will stumble upon them.
Love coupons can be bought in form of printed coupon books or can be downloaded and printed from various web sites. Some of these sites offer free customizable love coupons for download and print.
Co. introduced in 2006 a Valentines Pack containing among others a book of "Love Coupons".
IOU (debt)
An IOU is usually an informal document acknowledging debt. An IOU differs from a promissory note in that an IOU is not a negotiable instrument and does not specify repayment terms such as the time of repayment. IOUs usually specify the debtor, the amount owed, and sometimes the creditor...
or promissory note
Promissory note
A promissory note is a negotiable instrument, wherein one party makes an unconditional promise in writing to pay a determinate sum of money to the other , either at a fixed or determinable future time or on demand of the payee, under specific terms.Referred to as a note payable in accounting, or...
between people in love
Love
Love is an emotion of strong affection and personal attachment. In philosophical context, love is a virtue representing all of human kindness, compassion, and affection. Love is central to many religions, as in the Christian phrase, "God is love" or Agape in the Canonical gospels...
that contains a promise from one of the partners in a relationship to engage in a romantic activity at a time in the future.
The love coupon contains a relevant artistic image or drawing, a romantic promise and sometimes redeeming conditions like expiration date
Expiration date
Expiration date can refer to:*The shelf life of a grocery item*Expiration *Copyright expiration*Expiration Date , a 2006 comedy* Expiration Date, a novel by Tim Powers...
. At the core a love coupon is a love note that uses the coupon
Coupon
In marketing, a coupon is a ticket or document that can be exchanged for a financial discount or rebate when purchasing a product. Customarily, coupons are issued by manufacturers of consumer packaged goods or by retailers, to be used in retail stores as a part of sales promotions...
metaphor
Metaphor
A metaphor is a literary figure of speech that uses an image, story or tangible thing to represent a less tangible thing or some intangible quality or idea; e.g., "Her eyes were glistening jewels." Metaphor may also be used for any rhetorical figures of speech that achieve their effects via...
but it can also be seen as a very specialized form of greeting card
Greeting card
A greeting card is an illustrated, folded card featuring an expression of friendship or other sentiment. Although greeting cards are usually given on special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas or other holidays, they are also sent to convey thanks or express other feeling. Greeting cards,...
.
The promise made through the love coupon can range from romantic fantasies to taking care of domestic chores. Samples of romantic promises may include an evening of dancing, night of kisses and cuddles, evening of romance, romantic weekend getaway, boat ride for two, stroll on the beach or a romantic day trip, just to name a few.
Motivation
Love coupons are seen as a romantic way to pamper one's lover or to reinforce and heat up a relationship. They are usually given as gifts on Valentine's Day, birthdays or anniversary days. They are meant to signify that one is deeply caring about his partner's wishes. A love coupon can be also seen as a sign of trust between partners. The receiver of the love coupon may choose to redeem it at a time of his choice providing no restrictions apply. Sometimes it is more effective to make a promise using a love coupon than to discuss and talk about it with your partner.Forms
Love coupons can be found in many forms: as printed cards, printed books of love coupons and in digital format. Many web sites dedicated to subjects as Valentine's DayValentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
, love and romance offer various forms of love coupons for download or as attachments for romantic email messages
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
. They can also be hand-made from coloured paper, cut into heart
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
-shape.
Another popular variant uses the scratchcard
Scratchcard
A scratchcard is a small card, often made of thin paper-based card for competitions and plastic to conceal PINs, where one or more areas contain concealed information which can...
metaphor. Created as scratch-off lottery tickets they are sold and marketed as romantic gifts for lovers. Usually all tickets are winners, but like lottery cards one has to find the winning item or combination. The winnings range from romance, love and sex and the gift giver has to fulfill them.
Delivery
Love coupons can be delivered individually or as books of coupons. They can be sent by traditional mailMail
Mail, or post, is a system for transporting letters and other tangible objects: written documents, typically enclosed in envelopes, and also small packages are delivered to destinations around the world. Anything sent through the postal system is called mail or post.In principle, a postal service...
, in digital format as email
Email
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
attachments, handed in person at the right moment or placed as surprises in places where the receiver will stumble upon them.
Love coupons can be bought in form of printed coupon books or can be downloaded and printed from various web sites. Some of these sites offer free customizable love coupons for download and print.
Educational use
A variant of the love coupon concept can be used by parents as an educational and relationship building tool. Parents can use this kind of coupon to get over communication barriers with their children and to assure the children of their love. Such a coupon can promise time for activities together, uninterrupted time for discussions or it can send a message hard to communicate in person.Use as promotional material
Various companies started to use love coupons as promotional materials for their products and brands. For example Jones SodaJones Soda
Jones Soda Co. is a beverage company based in Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington. It bottles and distributes soft drinks, non-carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and candy. Jones Soda is a carbonated soft drink that has many unusual flavors that are not offered by other soft drink makers.Founded...
Co. introduced in 2006 a Valentines Pack containing among others a book of "Love Coupons".
See also
- Love letterLove letterA love letter is a romantic way to express feelings of love in written form. Delivered by hand, by mail or romantically left in a secret location, the letter may be anything from a short and simple message of love to a lengthy explanation of feelings...
- Greeting cardGreeting cardA greeting card is an illustrated, folded card featuring an expression of friendship or other sentiment. Although greeting cards are usually given on special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas or other holidays, they are also sent to convey thanks or express other feeling. Greeting cards,...
- CardmakingCardmakingCardmaking is the craft of hand-making greeting cards. Many people with interests in allied crafts such as scrapbooking and stamping have begun to use their skills to start making handmade cards. This has contributed to cardmaking becoming a popular hobby....
- Dance cardDance cardA dance card or programme du bal is used by a woman to record the names of the gentlemen with whom she intends to dance each successive dance at a formal ball....
- E-cardE-cardAn e-card is similar to a postcard or greeting card, with the primary difference being that it is created using digital media instead of paper or other traditional materials. E-cards are made available by publishers usually on various Internet sites, where they can be sent to a recipient, usually...
- CouponCouponIn marketing, a coupon is a ticket or document that can be exchanged for a financial discount or rebate when purchasing a product. Customarily, coupons are issued by manufacturers of consumer packaged goods or by retailers, to be used in retail stores as a part of sales promotions...
- Valentine's dayValentine's DaySaint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...