Tinder rebrands for gen Z singles in first global brand campaign

From leaving a toothbrush at someone’s house to shopping for furniture together, Tinder‘s new campaign spotlights a vast spectrum of relationship milestones – all of which, according to the campaign, start with a swipe.

The campaign was built on data insights gathered from around the world that show a growing and changing notion of love since Tinder’s inception 10 years ago. For example, to emphasize diversity, most of the campaign‘s cast is non-white and nearly half is LGBTQ+. The work also emphasizes issues and ideas that are held close to the hearts of many gen Zers, such as climate change and astrology.

“We often hear that the first place queer daters are ’out’ is on Tinder, so we wanted to make sure that they feel seen and reflected,“ says Stephanie Danzi, senior vice-president and global head of marketing at Tinder, noting that recent studies have correlated the rise of interracial marriage with the emergence of online dating.

Not only is the dating pool becoming more fluid. So, too, is what romance looks like among daters between ages 18 and 25, the app’s target demographic.

“Gen Z is completely resetting the rules of dating. Single is not a relevant term for this generation. They’re into more ambiguous terms, like ‘talking’ or ‘vibing,’” says Danzi. “Over the last year, we’ve seen the rise of ‘the situationship‘ [and] women are driving the ride. Women are four times more likely to put it in their bios, because they’re not thinking about marriage or kids right now.”

While gen Z may enjoy talking or vibing with matches, a large number of them seek serious relationships. One of Tinder‘s new out-of-home placements speaks to that subset by celebrating the moment a couple realizes they‘re no longer “dead inside.” In highlighting relationship milestones at all stages, the work helps dismantle Tinder’s now-outdated, ’hookup app’ connotation.

“Tinder is so much more than hookups; anybody you talk to knows someone who met their partner on Tinder. We have a relatively new feature called ‘Relationship goals’ that helps you find what you’re looking for, and the most common thing people say is a long-term relationship.”

Developed in partnership with Mischief USA, the campaign will run in multiple markets around the world, including LA, NYC, Berlin, Madrid, London and Paris, before expanding into other regions such as Asia, Australia and South America later in the year.

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