As Gen Z sours on dating apps, Bumble hopes classic romance and sentimentality can bring them back.
On Monday (Sept. 8), the dating app released a black and white ad featuring real couples who met on the platform. It is the latest chapter of Bumble’s “For the Love of Love” campaign that began last month.
Set to Labi Siffre’s 1971 track “Bless the Telephone,” the spot zeroes in on small, tender gestures between couples–holding hands, making eye contact, dancing in the living room. Bumble chose a monochrome palette to evoke the timelessness of human relationships, according to the brand.
The scenes end with a voiceover from Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd, who invites viewers to “start your love story.”
The work was created by Bumble’s in-house studio and Special US, while Fenn O’Meally was the director. It will run in the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, Australia, and Mexico.
“For the Love of Love” is markedly different from Bumble’s 2024 global campaign, which struck a more irreverent and cynical tone to speak to “exhausted women.” Some of the ads sparked backlash for making light of celibacy.
This effort shifts the focus to romance and meaningful relationships, as Bumble and its rivals fight to battle the phenomenon of dating app fatigue. A 2025 survey from Forbes Health and OnePoll found 78% of all users and 79% of Gen Z have experienced dating app burnout.
“This campaign is a celebration of what people value most in dating today—feeling seen, safe, and genuinely hopeful,” Neela Pal, Bumble’s senior vice president of marketing, said in a statement. “It shines a light on the beauty of real connection and reminds us that love, in its most authentic form, is always worth cherishing.”
Amy Ferguson, chief creative officer of Special US, added that the aim was to capture “love that’s raw, honest, and built on genuine communication and connection.”
