A birdwatcher carefully observes two groups of single people approaching one another. Actor Owen Thiele takes on the role of commentator on their social lives, while the nature documentary format serves as an advertisement for meeting people in groups. This is how Tinder and agency VIRTUE Worldwide introduce Group Hangouts, one of five features brought together under the message The best part of Tinder isn’t on Tinder.
The message that the best part of the experience happens outside the app gives the various new features a shared meaning. Tinder presents itself as a starting point for nights out, shared activities and encounters where friends make the first contact easier. For the brand, this is an opportunity to connect its communication about features to recognisable social situations, rather than explaining each through a separate demonstration of how it works.
It finds support for this approach in its own Year in Swipe 2025 research, according to which 37 per cent of young singles planned to try group or double dating during 2026. The campaign speaks to that willingness to share the dating experience with friends and make the first meeting feel less pressured.
The creative execution changes format depending on what it presents. Thiele’s spot uses humour and the observational distance of a mockumentary, while IRL Events draws on conversations from an actual event. At Tove Lo’s afterparty in Los Angeles, content creator Ken Eurich hosts a hidden confession booth, Between Us Girls, where attendees share experiences from their dating lives.
The main advertising spot, set to Tove Lo’s I’m your girl right?, connects these activities into a broader picture of going out with friends. App notifications lead to restaurant meetups, roller skating, karaoke and group hangouts. The combination of different media and visual textures is accompanied by separate 15-second advertisements dedicated to individual features.
Devin Colleran, senior director of global brand at Tinder, explains that the development of these options follows the way Gen Z wants to meet people, with friends and more in-person encounters. From the agency, Heather “McT” McTavish Perez, executive creative director, highlights pairing the selected talent with the appropriate features as an important part of bringing the brand closer to its audience.
Thiele describes the idea from a user’s perspective: meeting someone new is less intimidating with your own friends around, and a night out can be good even when there is no romantic chemistry. This very outcome gives the campaign more scope for communication, because the value of the evening does not depend exclusively on finding a potential partner.
The campaign is rolling out throughout October across video, social media, live events and out-of-home advertising, alongside changes to Tinder’s visual identity. For VIRTUE Worldwide, which won the account to lead the brand during the summer, this also marks the beginning of a partnership, with additional campaigns announced for the coming year.
