“A Vow Of Celibacy Is Not The Answer”
If it’s not the answer, why is it making Bumble shake in its shoes?
There are certain times in a copywriter’s life when they realize they fucked up. I’m fairly certain that Bumble’s dumpster fire of an ad campaign is one of those moments.
In fact, I’m like, 99 percent sure that this is a career-ending move for whoever greenlit this. What am I talking about? Well, you can see one of the billboards in my featured images.
Someone, presumably under the influence of more drugs than I have ever took in my life, thought it would be a great idea to tell people, “A vow of celibacy is not the answer.”
Speaking as a professional copywriter, I cringed. Hard. I am also unsure what possessed the marketing department to greenlight this billboard. However, their stupidity is my gain. I can dissect this.
Allow me to exhale sharply and fully dissect why writing something like this is something you should never do as a writer.
For those not in the loop, Bumble is a dating app — not unlike Tinder.
In a lot of ways, Bumble marketed itself as the dating app for women. It’s supposed to be a safe space for women. On the app, women approach men first rather than the other way around.
Much like Tinder, Bumble’s numbers have been ailing. The online dating scene is notoriously toxic regardless of the platform. I’ve yet to actually see an online app that is worth going on as a person who presents as female.
The reason why online dating started to falter is simple: online dating attracts the worst men. Studies show that men who use dating apps are often already in relationships. Worse, most dating apps openly allow sex offenders to use them.
Almost every woman (or female-presenting person) I know has a dating app horror story. Is it surprising to hear, then, that most women avoid apps?
In recent years, women began to vocally discuss their choice to remain celibate
It’s no secret that women are miserable with the current dating scene. Dating is supposed to be fun, but it’s not. It’s turned into a matter of sifting through entitled, potentially dangerous manchildren for a shot at a man who actually likes women.
Men don't care about how a woman’s dating experience is anymore. Women’s rights are also being rolled back. Dating apps have patently refused to screen male users.
Unsurprisingly, this led to a vocal voluntary celibacy movement. In Korea, it’s called the 4B Movement. I’ve written about this before, but the general gist is that women are fed up and closing up shop.
Dating apps have been bearing the brunt of that celibacy, with many struggling to attract women at all.