The sentiment expressed through Bumble’s viral teasers reflects a wider negative perception of dating apps. Amid a growing conversation about online dating fatigue, a Pew Research study last year found that 49% of respondents said dating sites and apps are not safe. Meanwhile, 48% reported encountering negative behaviors on those platforms, such as unsolicited sexual messages or images, unwanted continued contact or physical threats. 

Bumble is not the first dating app to respond to this trend. Tinder’s ongoing global campaign, “It Starts With a Swipe” by agency Mischief @ No Fixed Address, attempts to change its image as a hookup app.

And Hinge, whose ongoing “Designed to Be Deleted” campaign that launched in 2019 positions itself as the more serious app to find relationships, recently released an ad by Wieden+Kennedy Portland highlighting real dating success stories facilitated through the platform. 

Since the beginning, with its unique women-focused niche, Bumble has claimed to be an app that facilitates gender equality in dating. But its own research reflects a desire for change in the user experience of such apps. The brand’s survey found 46% of women said having more ways to start a conversation would make their dating app experience better, while 68% said they struggle with people not being upfront about their dating intentions.