The Hungry Heart behind our Valentine campaign

If ever there was a yearning dreamer, it's Duckie from Pretty in Pink. He loves Andie, Andie loves him back—like a friend. It's the classic "I love you, but I'm not in love with you" conversation, which often takes place after a situation like the one where Duckie serenades Andie with Otis Redding's, "Try a Little Tenderness."

I loved Pretty in Pink. LOVED it. I identified with Andie because I was gawky and intentionally dressed in a way to complicate an already difficult Junior High existence. But this was the moment when I got pissed at Andie and my loyalty turned from rich boy Blaine McDonnagh to soul man Duckie. 

Duckie put himself out there with dance. And the mainline to my heart is to choreograph a dance number as a means to express one's feelings. How could Andie look at Duckie with such disdain after he bounced off record bins and crawled up and down a record store staircase? The horror.  

As an adult watching this scene, my heart breaks for all the unrequited young loves in my own life, some of whom I probably hurt as much as Andie did Duckie. 

So that's the context for the imagery in our sexy new Valentine campaign that starts on February 1. When we looked at images of our model Paisha in the Hungry Heart, this song popped into my mind (coaxed by a little red wine and a husband knowledgeable in all things rhythym and blues), and that immediately led me to dear old Duckman from 1986.

Check out the lyrics, so so perfect: 

Oh she may be weary

Them young girls they do get wearied

Wearing that same old Shaggy dress, yeah yeah

But when she gets weary

Try a little tenderness, yeah yeah

You know shes waiting

Just anticipating

The thing that you'll never, never, never, never possess

Yeah, yeah

But while she there waiting

Without them try a little tenderness

That's all you got to do

It's not just sentimental no, no, no

She has her greavs and care, yeah yeah yeah

But the soft words they are spoke so gentle, yeah

It makes it easier, easier to bear, yeah

You won't regret it no, no

Young girls they don't forget i

Love is their whole happiness, yeah yeah yeah

But it's all so easy

You got to do is try

Try a little tenderness 

Yeah all you got to do is 

Squeeze her, don't tease her, never leave her

Get to her got got got to try a little tenderness