Dating app Bumble apologizes for its recent ad campaign that mocked individuals who choose celibacy over dating.
Last month, Bumble updated its app and brand design to attract users that are “exhausted” by the dating scene. As part of this effort, the company launched a series of advertisements that read, “You know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer” and “Thou shalt not give up on dating and become a nun.” The ads quickly sparked a backlash on social media, with users calling out the app for shaming celibacy.
“We made a mistake,” the company said in an Instagram post. “Our ads referencing celibacy were an attempt to lean into a community frustrated by modern dating, and instead of bringing joy and humor, we unintentionally did the opposite.”
As a result, Bumble announced that they will be removing the ads and making donations to the National Domestic Violence Hotline and other organizations that’s aimed at supporting women. Additionally, the company will also offer the billboard space to these organizations, allowing them showcase “an ad of their choice” for the rest of the remaining duration Bumble had reserved them for.
Nevertheless, social media users criticized the ad for going against Bumble’s founding principles, which was to create a more welcoming dating environment for women. Critics claimed that the ad campaign was dismissive towards those with a different lifestyle, such as asexual users and people who are battling sexual trauma. See what social media users had to say below:
Can we just let bad ads be bad ads? Now Bumble is APOLOGIZING and taking down their ads.
They’re not controversial. They’re just bad.
— E (@bklinz) May 14, 2024
The Bumble apology is actually not too bad (on the scale of you shouldn’t have done it the first place). Acknowledge the mistake- not just “if we offended”; show tangible steps to correct. Giving up their ad space to non-profits representing harmed communities is strong.
— Felicity (@FlossAus) May 14, 2024
My favorite part about the bumble apology is where they don’t say they’re going to educate themselves or diversify their marketing team/decision makers to avoid future issues.
— alexis catt | 🇨🇱🇭🇹 (@alexis_chi7) May 14, 2024
The TikTok ladies have been dragging Bumble (and rightly so) all weekend. pic.twitter.com/hyTOV4tRv9
— Vanessa Jaye (@vanessajaye) May 13, 2024
Bumble need to fuck off and stop trying to shame women into coming back to the apps.
Instead of them to run ads targeted at men telling them to be normal. pic.twitter.com/y6XVFXanaB
— Tinkerbell 🧚🏾♀️✨️| r-WNC (@BlobWithAGob) May 13, 2024
Bumble put millions of dollars into an ad campaign basically blaming women for not fucking men. “You know celibacy is not the answer.” According to whom? So now a dating site for women is gaslighting them into fucking for revenue?
Wtf is happening during these ideation meetings
— lightterminal (@lightterminal) May 11, 2024
Bumble HQ
“We don’t have enough women on the app.”
“They’d rather be alone than deal with men.”
“Should we teach men to be better?”
“No, we should shame women so they come back to the app.”
“Yes! Let’s make them feel bad for choosing celibacy. Great idea!” pic.twitter.com/115zDdGKZo
— Arghavan Salles, MD, PhD (@arghavan_salles) May 14, 2024
Good because these were actually very crazy. Particularly in a current world where women’s rights to our own bodies & sexual choices are up for political & social debate constantly. Could’ve easily swapped celibacy with “single”. https://t.co/dED309Y0Db
— Beyoncé Of Marketing✨ (@JunaeBrown) May 13, 2024
Ima make a video on it, but Bumble doing a campaign attempting to shame celibacy/abstinence is an unserious way to tell the public yall are nervous.
It’s also a very offensive way to tell your female customers that you’re profiting off of their legs being open.
— Cindy Noir✨ (@thecindynoir) May 12, 2024
Discover more from Baller Alert
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
