I’ve turned my birthday into an annual campaign with its own branding. What else would you expect from an only child and marketing manager? It’s not just a birthday, it’s officially called #PRINCEBDAY.
I invented the #PRINCEBDAY hashtag when I planned my birthday brunch back in 2014 and it stuck. When I opened my friends’ birthday cards with #PRINCEBDAY written inside, I knew that had to become a tradition.
Birthday Traditions
The #PRINCEBDAY hashtag works online and offline. Once I bought a lightbox at Winners/TJX, I started creating a #PRINCEBDAY sign every year. I only put the lightbox on display for holidays in the fall and winter. Then it gets tucked away until next September.
I don’t just have birthday traditions; I have my own birthday templates! Isn’t that what any efficient project manager would do? Once the hashtag was established, I created a template to send invites through DMs. “Are you free to celebrate #PRINCEBDAY with brunch on September [X]?” Works every time! It’s typically on Sundays, but I scheduled it on a Saturday last year to accommodate my stand-up comedy classes at Second City.
Even my outfit became a template, as I rely on black t-shirts for major events. Hosting an annual weekend brunch also means I get great daytime lighting in front of my photo bush! For the best photos, I ask someone to be the designated photographer and take 1:1 photos with guests in front of a solid coloured wall or bush. This always leads to stunning content!
Gourmet cupcakes from Short and Sweet Bakeshop, a nut-free bakery in Toronto, became a #PRINCEBDAY staple! This was a must-have when I launched the #PRINCEBDAY campaign in 2014 at the peak of the cupcake craze.
More specifically, I had to get custom cupcakes with logos of social media apps as I built my marketing career. It’s funny looking back because I didn’t design Twitter or Instagram cupcakes until 2017. Then I ordered custom Kardashian cupcakes to celebrate my marketing role at Glu/EA working on Kim Kardashian: Hollywood.
When I went on a birthday trip to see Britney Spears in Las Vegas (what a time to be alive!) I developed my annual birthday workout. It was very hot outside, so I exercised in the gym at my resort, which had a gorgeous view. The length of the workout was based on my age. Hopefully I’ll maintain this into my 60s and beyond!
Writing concisely benefits major brands through my corporate copywriting and lets me send myself really unique gifts. To get the best Cameo videos, you need to write short instructions with limited character counts and that’s easy for me. I’ve planned a few amazing birthday videos from celebrities so far!
My 30th birthday was the perfect time to get Cameo videos from a couple of my favourite TV stars from The CW. As I introduced them to my friends, I said “one guy is really hot and one guy is really famous.” It was Robert Christopher Riley from Dynasty and James Van Der Beek from Dawson’s Creek!
Cameo videos can be expensive, but I couldn’t resist getting a personalized message from Elaine Hendrix last year too. You know her as Meredith Blake in The Parent Trap! Cameos are fun to watch, but not comparable to meeting your favourite stars in person and I have long wish lists for both.
A key takeaway from my 30th birthday: number balloons are no match for backyard parties. They’re not worth the hype regardless of the milestone you’re celebrating.
My birthday is September 5, so I often incorporate the number 5 in my writing – just like Taylor Swift leans into the number 13! It’s my go-to number for everything I write for Hot On The Street.
It’s already been 10+ years since I introduced the #PRINCEBDAY hashtag and seeing it in cards never gets old. All of these details make my birthday celebrations special and I wouldn’t have it any other way as a Virgo!
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