Bumble drops controversial ad poking fun at celibacy, abstinence, issues apology
Bumble has fumbled, working quickly fix the damage caused by an ad campaign that mocks the choice of celibacy and abstinence as a long-term dating solution.
The company apologized for the blunder on social media, days after social media users began to criticize Bumble’s new taglines online.
People, particularly women, were quick to point out that the tone of the ads was anything but empowering, using shame to coerce women into getting back on the app, one user wrote.
“Bumble doing a campaign attempting to shame celibacy/abstinence is an unserious way to tell the public y'all are nervous,” Cindy Noir wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It’s also a very offensive way to tell your female customers that you’re profiting off of their legs being open.”
The taglines, which ran in commercial and billboards, were part of a larger “transformation plan” announced in February to bring people back to the app. It also cut 350 employees in an attempt to “better align its operating model with future strategic priorities and to drive stronger operating leverage.”
Here’s what we know.
Bumble ad 'undermines' a woman's choice, others say it was just a 'bad ad'
A majority of the people who have come across Bumble's new ad and have posted about it online are pretty insulted by what the ad seems to insinuate. Others said the ad was just bad, writing that there was nothing controversial about it.
Here's what everyone's been saying about the Bumble ad online.
@bumble fire your ad agency bby
— Bougie ✨ (@HelenaSimone_) May 14, 2024
Those new bumble ads are like if Bud Light made a billboard saying “let’s be real, sobriety isn’t the answer”
— Eli Morris (@EliMorris_VO) May 14, 2024
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
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
I was literally about to rejoin and give you my money til I saw your 'celibacy' advert, I won't be supporting a company that encourages 🍇 culture. Also you can date whilst being celibate so it makes no sense anyway! You're enforcing male entitlement to our bodies.
— Clairey Fairy (Taylor's Version) 👉🏻👌🏻🍉 (@Clairesolo) May 13, 2024
Shocked by the @bumble ad saying 'a vow for celibacy is not the answer.' In a world fighting for respect and autonomy over our bodies, it's appalling to see a dating platform undermine women's choices. Wasn't this app supposed to empower women to date on their terms?
— Jordan Emanuel (@_jordyjor) 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
I wish Bumble's apology was just a screenshot of the Notes app
— matthew stasoff (@mattstasoff) May 14, 2024
These guys tearing down the Bumble campaign they spent hours putting up two days ago pic.twitter.com/o4VSBSYfhz
— Casey Lewis (@caseymlewis) May 14, 2024
Bumble is mad women aren't dating anymore pic.twitter.com/ELWE95oUb6
— meh (@itstuff48) May 11, 2024
i love how we all find dating apps to be so cringe that bumble took out billboards begging us to have sex LMFAO. the funniest thing about this - nothing they are doing is addressing the fact that ppl want relationships. it's all "nooo don't be celibate ur so sexy aha"
— electroslag (@electroslaggg) May 12, 2024
Bumbles pulls ads, plans to make donations to non-profit groups
Bumble says the choice to run the ad campaigns with those messages, including “You know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer” and “Thou shalt not give up on dating and become a nun” were intended to lean into a community frustrated by modern dating.
“And instead of bringing joy and humor, we unintentionally did the opposite,” the company wrote.
The company decided to pull the ads from its global marketing campaign after hearing multiple perspectives, writing that it failed its mission of “passionately standing up for women and marginalized communities, and their right to fully exercise personal choice.”
The company's statement said it will be making a donation to the National Domestic Violence Hotline and other organizations that support women, marginalized communities and those impacted by abuse.
These “partners” will also have the chance to run an ad of their choice in the place of Bumble’s stripped ad.
“Please keep speaking up and telling us how we can be better. We care about you and will always be here for you,” the statement reads.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bumble pulls celibacy ad after controversy, apologizes over message