Marketing

Online dating company eHarmony launched an ad campaign highlighting LGBTQ dating on its app, and has received backlash from some on the conservative right, according to a report by NBC News.

The company has roots in the Christian community and has been viewed as unwelcoming to the LGBTQ community. To move past this perception, executives invested in a rebranding campaign that highlights inclusivity. The company launched its first inclusive ad featuring a lesbian couple this winter.

The ad entitled “I Scream” is part of the “Real Love” campaign, and shows the couple in their kitchen making dinner, then deciding it’s not very good and opting for ice cream on the couch. “Being honest with each other,” the voiceover says. “Saying yes to great ideas. eHarmony — here for real love.”

OkCupid has partnered with vegetarian food brand Sweet Earth to help vegetarians and vegans find love ahead of Valentine’s Day.

The companies will host a virtual event along with Outer Banks actor Chase Stokes, a “flexitarian” who is dating co-star and actress Madelyn Cline, who is vegan, about how to navigate dating when you and your match follow different diets. The Veggie Lovers Virtual Dating Event will take place online on Wednesday February 10th.

OkCupid’s Dating Expert Damona Hoffman will lead the Q&A session along with Stokes to discuss the challenges daters feel when it comes to navigating dietary preferences. Participants can also enter for a chance to win a spot in a private and exclusive speed dating event, according to Veg Times.

Bumble Inc. made its IPO filing public Friday January 15th, following rumors that the company would go public in time for Valentine’s Day. The app is expected to list on NASDAQ under the BMBL ticker.

According to The New York Post, Bumble reported revenue of $488.9 million in 2019, and $376.6 million in revenue between January 29 and September 30th of 2020. (Fourth quarter results have not been reported.) The pandemic has helped fuel dating app sign-ups and activity, with people using them to connect in a time of social distancing. Bumble offers an in-app video chat feature, which has been incredibly popular the last several months as people were in lockdown.

Image: Tinder

Dating app Tinder partnered with star rapper Megan Thee Stallion for its “Put Yourself Out There” Challenge, a way to encourage Tinder users to be more authentic in their profiles. 

The promotion is helping users gear up for online dating’s most active day, the first Sunday in January also known as the dating Super Bowl, where people flock to dating apps looking for a new relationship. The campaign is to encourage people to revise their profiles to be more creative and to showcase their unique personality traits, according to Fast Company. Tinder is offering $10,000 to 100 users in categories such as most personality, most creative, most original, most real, and others.

To enter, participants must take a screenshot or video of their new profile and post it to Instagram by December 31st, tagging @Tinder, #PYOTChallenge and #contest.

Online dating service eHarmony announced the launch of its new “Real Love” ad campaign, featuring candid moments of couples finding love in everyday, real life scenarios that will be broadcast on key media outlets across the U.S., U.K. and Australia.

There will be a total of seven ads according to the company’s press release, with the first three launching immediately. 

Each ad is a different scenario of love blossoming, the first of two women laughing after trying a new recipe that doesn’t taste so good, which leads to sharing a carton of ice cream and cozying up on the couch. Another features a young woman on eHarmony’s app who is messaging and sharing silly photos of herself with a love interest, with the narrator explaining that real love is “letting someone see every side of you” and “knowing you could be yourself.” The third ad shows a man surprising his date with a romantic setting of glowing red lanterns lining a patio, with a narrator saying “real love is making moments that last forever.”

Dating app Hinge has partnered with popular taco chain Chipotle as well as Uber Eats to offer a new “Cuffing Season” menu and delivery service for daters. 

According to CNN, the new menu will include three special selections: “Day Date” which includes two entrees and a side of chips and salsa, “Date Night” featuring two entrees, a side of chips and queso and two Tractor drinks, and the “Hinge Date” for the solo riders, with one entrée, one side of chips and salsa, and one Tractor drink. According to Fox Business, these options will be available for free delivery or discounts at certain times during the promotion.