Hinge Launches New Online Store Around Its Mascot Hingie
Contributed by: kellyseal on Monday, January 27 2020 @ 05:22 pm
Last modified on
Dating app Hinge is looking to capitalize on the popularity of its new mascot Hingie. The company just launched an online store selling Hingie-related products, according to AdWeek[*1] .
Hinge launched a new marketing campaign in 2019 saying that the dating app was “designed to be deleted” to promote its focus on long-term relationships. The company created TV and web spots featuring a cuddly-looking square named Hingie that proceeds towards its own demise as a couple who meet over Hinge get closer, until they finally delete the app – and Hingie along with it.
Hingie became so popular that Hinge decided it was time to offer some Hingie-inspired products that are “designed to be deleted” as well. Some of the offerings include s’mores kits for burning a Hingie-branded marshmallow, a Hingie bath bomb that dissolves in water, and a Hingie pinata to smash at your next party.
There are more lasting products offered on the site, including branded t-shirts and sticker sheets. For couples who are a bit invested in the app, the online store also offers a branded engagement ring box and a 14-carat gold necklace with real diamonds that can be customized to reflect your “delete date” in a classy fashion.
The launch of Hingie has created a surge of interest in the app, the biggest since Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg’s admission that he found his husband Chasten on the app. Hingie has more than 150,000 followers on Instagram and is growing faster than Hinge’s official account. Hinge CEO Nathan Roth told AdWeek: “This inspired us to create the store as a ‘thank you’ to fans.”
Roth also said that since Hinge launched the campaign, the app has seen a 47% increase in monthly downloads and an 18 percent increase in users deleting the app because they found a partner. Notably, 85 percent of Hinge users see their “delete day” as a milestone.
“We see Delete Day as the [new way] of defining the relationship,” Roth said, noting the necklace is a “celebration of that moment.”
Hinge might be on to something that all the other dating apps try to ignore. The reason many people use dating apps is to find a romantic partner, which means that they will stop using the app if it’s effective. While apps like Tinder and OkCupid are looking for stickiness with users and increasing engagement, Hinge embraces the fact that it wants users to turn off the app in favor of pursuing long-term relationships.
The online store is a good strategy to add additional revenue while the campaign continues to gain momentum. They plan to add additional products as the campaign continues with new elements into 2020.