Dating app, Hinge, which uses mutual Facebook friends as a filter to find your perfect match, has launched an overhaul of its branding and released a two-minute animated short film to go with it.
Research uncovered by Hinge shows that many see dating apps as a game, but in this flick, the game becomes very dark and disillusioned, with the main character walking around a Dystopian carnival of loneliness.
Per Adweek, Hinge’s chief brand officer Katie Hunt said, “This whole world was inspired by everything that we were seeing, and we felt that by doing an animated film.
“It kind of gave us license to have a bit more levity to talk about it and also sort of talk about it in a more abstracted way, which we were really attracted to.”
The carnival short was created in partnership with The Studio and Hinge’s agency Red Antler, and serves as a bit of a depressing metaphor for online dating, with the Carnival boasting everything from the Cycle of Loneliness, a ferris wheel with only one seat, a dick pic tent, the Hall of Filters and the Catch a Catfish pool.
When the male protagonist actually finds a match, it’s spoiled by a demon that looks suspiciously like the Tinder logo. But the best part is when he discovers the Hinge Exit door. You can check out the whole thing here:
“When you see it as a ride, you see how absurd it is and yet we’re participating in in,” Hunt added.
Hunt said the goal is that by providing something that people are willing to pay for, only the committed will stick around.
“In reality, people are really lonely and do want a connection with another person and do want to find someone,” she said. “It’s almost been taboo to say that and to go after that.”
The new version of the app will replace the free model with a $7-per-month subscription after three months of free trials. Hinge also will allow those who match to comment on the photos users post, encouraging more organic engagement (although this could be dangerous depending on the type of users Hinge attracts).
According to Hinge, a beta version of the app tested by some users has seen twice as many connections, five times as many connections turning into conversations and seven times as many conversations turn into phone number exchanges.
No word on how many actual dates eventuated, however.
