Austin-based dating app Bumble announced on Thursday a year-long marketing campaign with tennis champion Serena Williams, which will kick off at the Feb. 3 Super Bowl.
The campaign, dubbed “The Ball is in Her Court,” will highlight the importance of making the first move, according to a press release from the females first-focused platform. Williams will serve as a global advisor to Bumble to reinforce the company’s women-first message.
“The Ball is in Her Court” campaign, first reported by Reuters on Thursday, will appear across multiple platforms. According to Adweek a representative for Bumble declined to confirm whether the ad will air on CBS, what quarter the ad would appear, or whether it’s a national or regional buy if it is in fact a Super Bowl ad. The company’s release did note that “the partnership will go live during one of the most watched cultural moments worldwide, Super Bowl LIII on Feb. 3.”
Although, Reel 360 has recently learned that commercial director Little Minx, represented by Nikki Weiss & Co, is up to something with newly merged WPP agency VMLY&R.
“Partnering with Serena Williams has been a dream of mine since we launched Bumble as she is one of the most inspiring women in history and a shining example of someone making the first move in all facets of her life,” Bumble founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said in a written statement. “She is the epitome of strength, integrity, kindness, empowerment and every thing Bumble stands for.”
Williams is one of the most successful players in the history of the Women’s Tennis Association’s professional tour, ranking second all-time in major titles and having earned more than $88 million in tournament winnings.
“In my life, I can confidently say that I would not be where I am today had I let the fear of making the first move hold me back,” Williams said in a written statement. “I look at my daughter and know it is my duty to pave a powerful path for her, and as Bumble’s Global Advisor, I can encourage her and women everywhere to think like a champion, define their lives and ultimately, embrace the power we have within.”
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Bumble, which has more than 47 million users (Some of the Reel 360 team were members), launched in 2014 as a dating app where women make the first move. Since then, the company has expanded its business model to add networking for business as well as friendship connections to its offerings.
The company’s latest move came last September during the Brett Cavanaugh hearings when it took out a full-page ad in the New York Times that read: “Believe Women.”
The brand has created a Twitter and Instagram hashtag (#InHerCourt) to tout the partnership and campaign as well as a countdown clock to the campaign’s release.
Watch out Tinder and Match! Bumble is about to sting ya where it hurts.
Source: Reuters
