NEW YORK, NY, FEBRUARY 27: Today, Tinder launched its first-ever global brand campaign, “It Starts with A SwipeTM,” celebrating the vibrancy, beauty and possibilities that Tinder offers its millions of users, from the hetero-normative to the sapiosexual gender fluid to everything in between. The campaign - shot by French hybrid photo-digital artist Pol Kurucz and produced by Early Morning Riot - is evocative of modern day fairy tales, featuring different possibilities, in a vibrant, electrified dating journey.
“Tinder daters have changed the state-of-the-date by tossing out traditional views and are embracing unconventional experiences and a whole new vocabulary and we are excited to be able to reflect their reality through a vibrant and lush imagery in our campaign. We were inspired by this new generation and how uniquely they look at themselves and their dating lives.” said Melissa Hobley, Tinder Global Chief Marketing Officer, who is bringing alive the brand’s vision through this global campaign.
Powered by Tinder Daters
The campaign aims to challenge everything people have thought about Tinder, including hook-up perception. Recent data shows that long term relationships are Tinder members number 1 Relationship Goal, with 31% of Gen Z members looking for a long term relationship (going up to 40% with all members globally) and only 14% looking for a short-term connection1. Tinder is the place for everything 18-25 year old singles want in their dating experience, from honesty and authenticity to diversity and inclusion.
Inspired by this new generation of daters, “It Starts With A SwipeTM” not only celebrates a diversity of possibilities, but also genders, orientations and multiculturalism, all produced with a diverse cast and crew that reflects the fluid and inclusive attitude that is so inherent to Tinder.
Hobley continues, “Defined as a one night stand ten years ago, only 25% of young daters believe a hookup is defined in the same way today2. Tinder doesn't tell you who or how to date, and offers so many different possibilities! We welcome all types of people and relationships whether they last for a few messages exchanged on the app, a day, a night, or a lifetime. No matter what kind of connection you are looking for, it starts here. It Starts with A SwipeTM.”
A Beautiful and Strong Creative Direction
Created in partnership with Mischief, the campaign illustrates all the possibilities that Tinder delivers - from yes, a modern-day hook up, to relationship milestones like meeting the friends, or leaving a toothbrush at their place, to a more defined commitment and even meeting the parents. The creative also reflects young daters' desire to express and connect on the issues that matter to them most (63% of Tinder members wanting to connect with someone that aligns with their values2).
“Realizing You’re Not Dead Inside” - There’s nothing quite like meeting somebody who makes you feel alive. And with all that’s going on in the world, it’s a great reminder that you’re not actually dead inside. And the best part is getting to share those feelings with somebody else.
“A Toothbrush At Their Place” - You know your relationship is getting serious when you intentionally leave a toothbrush at someone’s place. It’s a milestone that couples all over the world—from all walks of life—can relate to.
“Comfortable Silences” - When you’re just getting to know somebody, silence can feel pretty… uncomfortable. You might feel like you have to resort to small talk just to break the tension. But as you grow closer to someone, sitting in silence with them starts to feel therapeutic in a sense. It’s one of the most comfortable feelings in the world when you can enjoy somebody’s company without any pressure at all.
For Bianca Guimaraes, ECD and Partner at Mischief: "Tinder's challenge to us was bigger than a change of brand perception—it was a change of dating perception. For more than ten years Tinder has made it easy and fun for members to meet up, yet along the way, some people have grown cynical about online dating. Today, there’s a new generation of people who aren’t jaded by dating, nor do they define dating the same way. The opportunity for Tinder is to communicate the infinite possibilities that exist on Tinder that lead to a one-time vibe or a long term relationship. We were inspired by how a match can launch into any one of those outcomes."
“Connecting on Tinder is diving into someone else's universe. By extension, this campaign is an immersion into the colorful and diverse worlds of couples born out of a match,” say Pol Kuruz, the photo-digital artist who shot the campaign. “The stories, the colors, the diversity of sets, characters and interactions seen in the campaign are a visual allegory to the infinite possibilities a match can create. To convey the depth and intensity of relationships Tinder enables I used a cocktail of unusual chromatic combinations, vibrant colors, contrast and pop aesthetics.”
Diversity and Inclusion Shaped The Campaign From A-Z
In addition to working with Pol Kurucz, the crew that worked on this campaign represented the Tinder member base, with a heavy female representation as well as many BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ team members. For the digital video spots, Tinder worked with Biscuit, which is co-owned 50/50 male/female, and with a 50/50 male/female Director duo, Los Perez. Composed of filmmakers Tania Verduzco and Adrian Pérez, the directorial duo Los Pérez is known for their vibrant and lushly detailed art direction and cinematic world-building across commercials, music videos, and branded content.
The campaign will launch on February 28th, across social media, streaming platforms, and followed by out-of-home placements. It will roll out across the US, UK, Germany, France, Spain, Australia, and Brazil…, appearing in major cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Berlin, and Madrid.
Key Data about Tinder
Tinder is the #1 most-downloaded app by 18-year-olds4, with the majority of Tinder members aged between 18-25.
For 56% of young daters, the term “hook up” is outdated or means something different to them than it does for older generations2
LGBTQIA+ members are now the fastest growing group on Tinder, and members aged 18-25 that identify as LGBTQIA+ on Tinder have more than doubled in the last 2 years3.
84% of people polled said they’re hopeful and optimistic when it comes to dating and relationships, showing an openness to possibilities that come from making new connections2
Background Details
Social media: TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat.
Audio: Spotify
Streaming: (US) Hulu, YouTube, and Roku.
About Tinder
Launched in 2012, Tinder is the world’s most popular app for meeting new people and has been downloaded more than 530 million times. The app is available in 190 countries and 45+ languages. More than half of all members are 18-25 years old. In 2022, Tinder was named one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company.
1 Tinder internal data from Relationship Goals profile feature 2023
2 A study of 4,000 18-25 year old actively dating singles in the US, UK, Australia and Canada between Jan 21, 2023 and Feb 7, 2023 conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Tinder.
3 Tinder member registration data 2022.
4 Pew Research Center, Feb 2023; supported by internal Tinder member data, Jan 2023
