APAC/Singapore, July 9, 2024 — Tinder, the world’s most popular dating app, has announced a new chapter of its award-winning global campaign, “It Starts With a Swipe,” featuring the cutest meet-cutes of them all: the first messages of real couples who met on Tinder and are currently in relationships.
In a series of new video spots, the campaign draws on the serendipity of classic romantic comedies reimagined through the lens of modern dating. The spots showcase singles meeting in iconic rom-com scenarios, with dialogue inspired by the real first messages of couples who met on the app—because meet-cutes happen every day on Tinder.
In our post-pandemic world, everyone is seeking more authentic, meaningful connections, and the younger generation of singles who came of age in virtual spaces now feels a nostalgic affinity for the IRL ‘meet cutes' of classic sitcoms and movies. But while some of us yearn for the meet cutes of yesteryear, classic rom com scenarios can seem a little silly and awkward to the modern dater.
Unlike the rom coms we know and love, real meet cutes don’t have to start like your favorite movies to end like them. After all, how many people actually meet their person bumping into each other in a bookstore? Hailing the same taxi? Getting caught in the rain?
“Daters today are nostalgic for the meet-cutes they’ve seen in old rom-coms. But the reality is that the rom-com meet-cute is the exception, not the rule. Tinder is where modern-day meet-cutes happen — just ask the millions of couples who have met on Tinder,” said Stephanie Danzi, SVP of Marketing at Tinder. “A new relationship starts every three seconds, thanks to Tinder. This campaign celebrates those millions of relationships, and we were honored to build creative inspired by real first messages from real Tinder couples.”
The spots feature popular talent known for roles portraying the familiar and relatable dating experiences of today’s young singles, including actors Lana Condor (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before) and Evan Mock (Gossip Girl). By integrating real couples’ first messages, the campaign underscores the modern meet cute as a digital-first experience, complete with all the excitement, awkwardness and sparks of any first interaction.
The campaign’s new video spots include:
“Rescue,” inspired by real Tinder messages between Samantha and John
Featuring actors Lana Condor and Evan Mock, “Rescue” imagines what Samantha and John’s very first interaction would’ve looked like if they met in real life first. Set in a library, we see Samantha slip from a ladder while reaching for a book. In a classic meet cute moment that pays homage to the rom com genre itself, John catches her just in time. Candor then fumbles over a series of words, with floating message bubbles revealing her actual typos from a Tinder chat with John.
“Rain,” inspired by real Tinder messages between Kate and Lain
Kaite and Lain find each other in a field of flowers in the middle of a rainstorm. One begins announcing the details of her astrological birth chart to the other, whose response is simply, “So hot.” They embrace under parting clouds which reveal the message bubbles of their initial Tinder chat.
“Taxi,” inspired by real Tinder messages between Danielle and Matthew
Danielle and Matthew bump into each other while hailing the same yellow cab. After starting a conversation with a cheesy pickup line, Matthew awkwardly repeats himself, with floating message bubbles revealing how the conversation started with an accidental “double send” in a Tinder chat.
The new “It Starts With a Swipe” video spots will run globally across digital and streaming platforms beginning July 8.
Alongside the new campaign, Tinder will also bring back its popular Single Summer Series for a second year in a row, in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Austin, and Nashville.
“Only 8% of offline daters say it’s easy for them to find a date IRL, and so many missed out on opportunities to connect in the midst of the pandemic,” said Melissa Hobley, Chief Marketing Officer at Tinder. “At Tinder, we want to empower our users to find meaningful connections that carry into IRL.”
Tinder users in participating markets will receive in-app notifications inviting them to Single Summer Series events throughout the summer. The campaign will roll out across APAC markets such as Thailand, Vietnam and Korea over the summer.
1 Tinder, the preferred dating app for singles under 30, completed a study highlighting dating app relationship behaviors in 2023. This survey identified respondents who entered into a relationship through Tinder in the past year. For more information, visit tinderlove.com.
2 US Wave 3 2023 Report: U30 Offline Barriers
