Tinder is now pushing its platform for friendships, not just hook-ups

You might think you know what Tinder stands for. But a new campaign from Thailand redefines the dating app as being for more than just dating and hook-ups; you can use it just to make new friends. The campaign, by Wunderman Thompson Thailand, is called "Friends With Other Benefits" and is a play on the Thai words "Puen Sampan,” which twist the term for “sex” into a brand new word for “friendship.” It shows people connecting on the app to play video games or board games, go skateboarding, drink tea or do each other's make-up. Meanwhile, the common shorthand for dating activities takes on different meanings: FWB, for example, becomes the more innocent "Friend With Board Game" while "ONS" transforms from one night stand to "One Night Street Food." According to Wunderman Thompson, the campaign for recruiting new users in Thailand was based on research that showed that Gen Z is the most likely group to quit the app within one week for not wanting to participate in hookup culture. On the other hand, however, other Gen Z users who stayed also showed the highest interest in using the app for non-dating or non-sexual purposes. “Our goal is to show Gen Z users just how endless the possibilities are for forming meaningful relationships on the app, platonic or otherwise. In my research, I found that young people have very diverse passions, from gaming, surf skating, discovering new restaurants and bars, to fangirling over Korean actors,” says the agency's executive creative director, Thasorn Boonyanate. He adds: “I knew immediately that’s what Tinder should be about in the year 2021, an app that multiplies your love for life by matching you with new friends who share and expand your passions, real friends with long-term ‘benefits’ who are here to stay and may even develop these connections into romance that’s not based on mere physical attraction. We believe this is the way forward for Tinder to reach beyond traditional dating.”

Tinder is now pushing its platform for friendships, not just hook-ups

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