Tinder launches first-ever brand film in the UK this Boxing Day

The ad hopes to position the dating app as somewhere where meaningful connections can be made, dispelling the notion that Tinder is solely a platform for finding short-term or casual romantic connections.

Starring a woman called Ava, the film shows her move to London and turning to the app to meet new people. There’s a first date with Nathan, who challenges conventional dating norms, and Maya, who turns out to be a best friend after the pair agree they don’t fancy each other.

The narrative shows that different types of relationships can develop over time, challenging preconceived conceptions about immediate sparks and the journey to finding meaningful connections.

Set to the upbeat track ’Deadbeat Gospel’ by Edinburgh-born producer Barry Can’t Swim, the soundtrack embodies the euphoria of living in a big city in your twenties.

“Tinder is the world’s most popular app for meeting new people. It enables connection between people that may never have normally met,” says Joanna Pons, senior marketing director for Northern Europe at Tinder.

“Today, no dating journey is linear, it is full of possibility and self-discovery as our desire for human connection is as strong as ever. Our brand film aims to create a ‘that’s me’ moment - whether it’s remembering when you moved to a new city or sought new relationships and the crucial role that Tinder can play.”

Created in collaboration with W Communications and directed by Jamie Whitby, the film utilizes mixed media, including stills, handheld camera footage, and 3D scanning. An approach designed to capture the authenticity of the protagonist’s moments.

“When the brief came in, I'd recently gotten out of a long-term relationship and was pleasantly surprised by the sorts of experiences and friendships that Tinder ended up unlocking, so this project felt to me like one of the best briefs I could get: an opportunity to tell a story with a truth that I genuinely believed in at its core,” added the director Jamie Whitby.

“Trying to stay loyal to that truth ended up becoming the creative engine driving this project: authenticity was absolutely everything - in casting, in performance, in production design, and shooting style.”