Top Spot of the Week: W+K Portland, Director Bine Bach Take Hinge Date Match App To The Afterlife

Hinge unveils its fifth global “Designed To Be Deleted” ad campaign, taking the platform somewhere brand new--the afterlife. The campaign encourages daters to go on dates and find love in person, cheekily bringing dark humor and deeper storytelling to what happens to the beloved app icon, Hingie, after a match is made on Hinge. Actress and comedian Patti Harrison portrays The Oracle, who celebrates each deletion of the app as the result of a new relationship.

Upon entering the afterlife, each Hingie meets The Oracle, who is responsible for reviewing the successful dating stories that led to their demise. Chaos comedically ensues when a long line of Hingies arrive and overwhelm Harrison as she welcomes each one. For the first time, the ads feature stories inspired by real great dates of Hinge couples. From two people with the same name to a shared conspiracy theory about the existence of New Zealand, couples are depicted through illustrations, and one Hinge couple is featured live as they relive their deletion moment.

“I’ve used Hinge before, and there aren’t many apps that are as accommodating to transgender daters. It’s great to see any app make an effort, but it felt like Hinge really made a meaningful effort,” said Harrison. “Also, as a comedian, this was something where I genuinely agreed with what they are doing. It was a chance to help make dating even better for people.”

The “Designed To Be Deleted” ad campaign was first released in 2019. This fifth iteration--created and developed by Wieden+Kennedy Portland--speaks to Gen Z and young Millennial daters. Directed by Bine Bach of Biscuit Filmworks, the films--including this anchor piece--will run in the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Australia. They will be released on YouTube and across social media channels on April 9 and launched on streaming platforms throughout April. The campaign will continue through early summer.

“‘Designed to be deleted’ brings to life Hinge’s goal of getting people off the app as Hingie--our furry app icon--lives to die,” said Jackie Jantos, chief marketing officer at Hinge. “We loved collaborating with all of our amazing partners in front of and behind the camera on this round of creative. It’s fun to celebrate real love stories from Hinge couples, and we hope these films bring some joy and encouragement to people on their dating journey.”