Pepsi has teamed up with dating brand Thursday to celebrate Pepsi’s Zero Sugar flavours, Strawberries ‘n’ Cream and Cream Soda and modern dating.

The two brands have teamed up to release  research into Gen-Z daters. Their research finds that people are prioritising ‘Relation-sipping’ over bigger gestures: 77% of Gen-Z daters admit they prefer smaller, sweeter gestures delivered little and often over any gestures associated with being grand and sweeping (5%).

The shift reflects a wider turn away from the forced romance of Valentine’s Day with 31% sharing they will avoid traditional Valentine’s tropes this February. The reasons for this include that big gestures feel too intense (37%), they feel like fake dating (32%), or they feel inauthentic (26%) or too impersonal (20%). 

"The era of the 'Insta-worthy' date is over. Gen Z can smell a staged moment a mile away and they’re actively opting out. Instead, we’re seeing a massive shift towards ‘Relation-sipping’—those tiny, unpolished windows of real connection that don't require a suit or a three-month waiting list. Our partnership with Pepsi is about giving people the permission and the tools to keep it sweet, and simple,” says Abi Blears, Dating Expert at Thursday.

In response to this challenge, Thursday and Pepsi have launched a ‘28 Days of Relation-sips’ set of playing cards to help create small moments of sweetness from the first date. The limited edition card deck will be available through Pepsi UK social channels to help Gen-Z daters to bask in the little moments and keep the early dating feeling alive. 

"At Pepsi, we believe the best moments in life are found in little treats, which we bring to life through our Pepsi Zero Sugar Strawberries ‘n’ Cream and Cream Soda flavours. Our partnership with Thursday celebrates the beauty of the small stuff in dating and our ‘28 Days of Relation-sips’ card game is designed to help people looking to date to prioritise these micro-moments, making dating a little sweeter, one sip at a time," says Steven Hind, Chief Marketing Officer at Pepsi UK&I.

The two brands have also released a top 10 ‘Relation-sip’ gestures that Gen-Z find thoughtful in relationships. Acts range from ‘complimenting your outfit’ to ‘remembering and getting your sweet treat’ and ‘creating nicknames for each other’.

Showcasing an understanding of the changing needs of modern daters and providing new moments of sweetness, Pepsi and Thursday are a brand match made in Valentine’s heaven.