Retargeting ads are effective at encouraging people to follow through with a purchase they may have contemplated online. But when it comes to keeping a secret, those ads that follow you online are like that friend that can’t keep their mouth shut. Aware that retargeting can inadvertently spoil an engagement surprise, jeweller Birks devised a way to help grooms shop anonymously online. Rather than pause retargeting during the typical three-month shopping window, Birks shifted away from cookie-based retargeting and focused on personal ID targeting, blending ads into a future groom’s social feeds. The jeweller’s covert tactics helped increase click-through rates on digital ads by 8% and prevented one of life’s great moments from being spoiled by an ad.