Of late, Crikey has noticed heart creep in advertising — beyond the normal boundaries of February 14.

Let us count a few of the ways.

McDonald’s “I’m lovin it” campaign put the symbol to work (watch as it morphs ingeniously into the golden arches here):

On Friday, Melbourne’s ABC Radio got all sacred heart on listeners for its Day of Love campaign on Friday ( Sunrise , of course,   has been ” spreading the love” for years):

But for heart hijacking, it’s hard to go past Channel Nine’s launch of its 2008 program in a ” special email” on 30 November. 

The press release tells us: “Heart is joy. Heart is passion. Heart is commitment. Heart is challenging expectations and rising against the competition. Heart is symbolic of the Nine Network.”

Ah yes, the Nine Network, source of inspiration to poets across the ages.

Have you seen any other examples? Send your thoughts to boss@crikey.com.au.