Bumble and 72andSunny Amsterdam have created a campaign to shine a light on the different expectations for men and women in the dating world, otherwise known as the romance gap.
The women-first dating app conducted research through YouGov with 6,770 adults across the UK, France, Netherlands, Germany, and Ireland.
The research found that although 85% of people say equality is important in dating and relationships, 74% believe there are different expectations based on gender identity.
More than half (52%) state that society expects men to take the lead in relationships and a third of women (32%) expressed concerns about appearing clingy, attached or desperate. The same proportion said they changed their behaviour to make someone feel more powerful or comfortable.
The digital campaign is fronted by a 90-second film, which will run across social media, in addition to media partnerships and print ads with media planning handled by Wavemaker.
The film, directed by Amy Becker-Burnett, spotlights the romance gap with a passionate speech delivered by an array of diverse women who observe the inequalities in romantic relationships.
One woman states: “Why do I feel feisty when I am honest, intense when I want commitment and slutty when I don’t?”
It ends with the line: “Let’s drop the script and just be one thing – ourselves. It’s about time isn’t it?” Followed by the directive: “#MakeRomanceEqual.”
Alongside the empowering film, Bumble has published dedicated and microsites that display the research and tips on how to have conversations about the romance gap with partners.
Laura Visco, executive creative director at 72andSunny, said: “The gender pay gap is widely known, but there is much less awareness and action around the romance gap. Somehow equality goes out the window when it comes to romance.
“This campaign aims to challenge unequal dating norms and empower women to find ways of talking about the issue with those they’re dating.”
Naomi Walkland, Bumble’s vice president for Europe, explained: “At Bumble, we are focused on creating an app that empowers women to make the first move and date on their own terms from the beginning. But we alone cannot change societal expectations.
“An unexamined romance gap limits us, with almost one in two people agreeing that it makes it difficult to build equal relationships. The only way to reduce the romance gap is to acknowledge it exists and start an open conversation about how it impacts how we see ourselves, our partners, and relationships.”
Walkland added: “This new campaign aims to raise awareness and establish a vocabulary for the romance gap. Only when we are aware of it can we challenge each other to do away with gendered expectations of who should do what.”
.jpg)
.jpg)