Color-saturated ads were inspired by the throwback look and feel of romance novels, complete with swirly font treatments and clever copy that heralded relationship milestones like leaving a toothbrush at a crush’s house.

One eye-catching 15-second video centered on a couple pawing each other on a nightclub dance floor but later going on a furniture shopping excursion together. The tagline: “Some Tinder dates turn into one-night stands. But some turn into two nightstands.”

Media buys were as strategic as the creative message, with Tinder blanketing social and digital channels, for obvious reasons, while also hitting streaming platforms such as Hulu, Roku and YouTube.

“It Starts With a Swipe” dropped initially in the U.S. and Europe before expanding to South America, Asia and Australia, representing more marketing firepower than the brand had ever used before. Its out-of-home ads in well-trafficked locations made a splash in major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Berlin, Paris, London and Madrid.

Stellar outcome

Results of “It Starts With a Swipe” went far beyond expectations. Tinder’s “first choice” score rose from 22% to 36% in two months, which is 280% over the brand’s stated objective. Post-campaign, more women under 30 said they felt that Tinder was a place for “any type of relationship,” rising from 31% to 48%, 340% over objective.

Brand consideration increased by 16 points, with a 15% bump in young female consumers who said, “Tinder is a brand for people like me.”

Parent company Match Group credited the campaign with boosting user sign-ups, particularly among women and young demos, returning the brand to positive growth and overtaking competitors in brand preference.

“It Starts With a Swipe” will continue as an umbrella campaign for the foreseeable future, per the brand, with the team adding new facets and executions. 

The latest incarnation, for example, uses celebrities for the first time, with actors Lana Condor from Netflix’s To All the Boys franchise and Evan Mock from HBO’s 2021 Gossip Girl remake. Expect another push for the traditionally busy back-to-school season.

Tinder has “just warmed up our marketing muscle,” Danzi said. “We’re looking to step into culture in ways that make sense for the brand but also get people talking.”