The social networking and dating app, Bumble, has launched a campaign that highlights the importance of connection during the lockdown period.
The ad, ‘Time to Connect’ was produced in collaboration with creative agency Mother, and reflects the shift in practicalities and attitudes towards dating that many have experienced as a result of Covid-19. Bumble used pre-existing footage and animation to create the film, and followed governmental guidelines around its production.
From online home workouts and new creative projects to virtual dates, Bumble’s users have spent the last few months learning to navigate their romantic lives in the new virtual world.
The concept for the UK & Ireland campaign is founded on recent Bumble research, (a survey of 5,000 UK users), which found that lockdown is causing people to re-think their priorities around what and who matters most. Users are not only making deeper connections with friends and family, but new dating connections as well.
Virtual connections have become the new norm since the outbreak of the pandemic, with one in five Bumble users virtual dating during lockdown. Lockdown has also shown daters the value of ‘extended courtship’, with 46% of Bumble users saying lockdown has shown them the rewards of spending more time chatting and getting to know someone first – which they intend to continue doing even beyond lockdown.
Throughout this period, Bumble has seen a significant rise in the use of in-app video and voice calling features. In the UK, there has been a 42% increase in in-app video calls since mid-March, when lockdown began.
Speaking on the campaign, Naomi Walkland, Bumble’s associate director of marketing said: “This campaign is all about reflecting on the many ways our lives have changed and slowed down during these tough times. Whether you’re speaking to friends, families, or loved ones, connections matter now more than ever.
“We wanted to highlight how our community is using this time to prioritise what matters most to them, and we hope that this video will remind people of all the great connections they’ve made and will continue to make.”
