Female-first dating app Bumble unveils bold new look and useful new feature

Hate dating apps? We're not massive fans either. But Bumble is a bit different. Founded in 2014, its unique twist is that it empowers women to make the first move.

Unlike other dating apps where either person can initiate contact, Bumble flips the script in heterosexual matches by requiring women to send the opening message within 24 hours of a match, or else the connection disappears. This approach is intended to encourage a more respectful and proactive dating experience for all users.

Now, Bumble is ushering in a new era with a major rebrand, executed in-house by Bumble's creative studio. The rebrand includes a refreshed visual identity, a new feature entitled Opening Moves, and a global marketing campaign aimed at reinvigorating the online dating experience for women.

In short, the app is doubling down on its mission, with updates designed to give women even more choice and control when initiating connections.

Choice and ease

Bumble spoke to 6,138 female users of its app globally, aged 23-35, and nearly half said having additional ways to start a conversation would improve their dating app experience. So they've now responded by launching Opening Moves. This new feature allows women to set an icebreaker question for their matches to respond to after being paired.

"We have always taken our lead from the amazing women in our community," says chief marketing officer Selby Drummond. "Today, they are looking for more choice and ease in their dating life and with the launch of Opening Moves, Bumble is continuing to put women's experiences first."

Alongside the product update, Bumble has unveiled a new visual identity with a refreshed logo, colour palette, typography, and custom illustrations. The aim is to create a more modern, playful, intuitive experience reflective of Bumble's unique approach.

The company is also rolling out a new app identity, which includes a new logo, bolder fonts, and refreshed colours and illustrations.

The company's data shows that three in four (75%) women surveyed say the look and feel of a dating app is important to their overall experience, and 65% say that the visual identity of a dating app can make it easier to use.

Global campaign

Bumble has launched a multi-faceted global marketing campaign to promote the changes, featuring tongue-in-cheek messaging such as "We've changed so you don't have to" and "At last, you can stop pretending you're into wild garlic foraging."

High-impact digital and outdoor ads are running in over ten countries. And the campaign also features a new video (shown below) that recognises the exhaustion some women feel with online dating when their needs and experiences are not prioritised and the women-first solution Bumble provides.

The distinctive and self-explanatory black-and-yellow colour scheme follows through all these multifarious assets, giving the branding an energy and consistency that really helps bring it to life.

In the lead-up to the announcement, Bumble generated buzz with an AR experience featuring oversized cloud-themed beds and Renaissance-style projection mapping in London's Soho highlighting the 'tired of dating' feeling the app aims to address.

Empowering message

As online dating becomes increasingly central to the way modern relationships are formed, Bumble hopes its latest updates will cement its position as the platform that puts women's needs and comfort first in the search for romantic connections. "Our core principle remains the same," stresses Selby: "Empowering women in every connection and in every relationship."

Overall, with its modern new look and enhanced functionality for making the first move, we reckon Bumble has a strong chance of continuing to stand out in an increasingly crowded dating app market – especially with this new branding under its belt.

Firstly, it's been expertly executed and has a fresh, original, and youthful feel to it (not a bad feat for a 10-year-old app). Secondly, because the driving central concept behind it (dating that puts women first) is so clear and powerful, it does most of the hard work all by itself.