EQUAL NOT LOOSE

Short List
TitleEQUAL NOT LOOSE
BrandBUMBLE INDIA
Product / ServiceAPP
CategoryB03. Use of Print / Outdoor
EntrantBBDO INDIA Mumbai, INDIA
Idea Creation BBDO INDIA Mumbai, INDIA
Media Placement OMD INDIA Mumbai, INDIA
Production 44 BLUE PRODUCTIONS Los Angeles, USA

Credits

Name Company Position
Josy Paul BBDO India Chairman and Chief Creative Officer
Hemant Shringy BBDO India Chief Creative Officer
Balakrishna Gajelli BBDO India Sr. Creative Director
Shruthi Subramaniam BBDO India Sr. Creative Director
Vijay Kumar Vasala BBDO India Art Supervisor
Edward Gunn BBDO India EVP - Planning
Neeta Dsouza BBDO India Sr. Account Director - Planning
Atin Wahal BBDO India Executive Vice President
Omkar Rachha BBDO India Visualizer
Rhea Singh BBDO India Copywriter
Hitesh Shah BBDO India Studio Head - Mumbai
Rajeev Mohite BBDO India Studio Visual Editor
Manisha Sain BBDO India AVP - Planning
Paresh Maharana BBDO India Case Study Producer
BBDO Studio Team BBDO Studio Team BBDO India Studio
Krishna KV BBDO India Agency Producer
Varun Saini BBDO India Account Manager
Neha Wahi BBDO India Account Executive
Smriti Mundhra 44 Blue Productions Director
Ryan Weaver 44 Blue Productions Producer
Jennifer Colbert 44 Blue Productions Producer
Stephanie Drachkovitch 44 Blue Productions Producer

Why is this work relevant for Media?

#EqualNotLoose encouraged Indian women to feel liberated from societal judgements and labels that hold them back, so they are free and empowered to make their own choices in love, life and business. The campaign created conversation by capturing the attention of the country as it reached out to varied audiences through innovative and customised use of multi-media approach of TV, print, OOH, Social media – Facebook, Instagram and YouTube as well as offbeat medium that were frequented by the audience – gyms, café, corporate parks and restaurants.

Background

A rapidly modernizing India is changing how Indians seek and form relationships. Indian women feel relatively more empowered and increasingly more of them are turning to apps to meet new people. But, prejudices and moral policing about dating and networking still exist in an Indian society more so when done online. Because of which women are filled with a sense of shame and are forced to use these apps in secrecy. Faced with a sensitive cultural resistance and a crowded app market Bumble faced an uphill challenge. We had to spark confidence, positivity and empowerment in a safe environment for women. We had to stand for respect and the freedom to choose and form life-enhancing connections.

Describe the creative idea/insights (30% of vote)

We knew if we had to launch in India, we had to approach existing cultural issues head on and break societal judgements. And so, we launched Bumble with its hallmark feature of allowing only women to make the first move on the app by the campaign - #EqualNotLoose We brought the ideology to life by showing society that if a woman chooses to work late, meet a stranger or decides to wear what she feels comfortable with, she is making her own choices. With women making the first move in love, friendship and business meant they are free to choose, connect and form life-enhancing connections and are not bogged down by the strict structures of society.

Describe the strategy (20% of vote)

In progressive India, while women are emerging within the power structures in a patriarchal society, they are still up against many deep-rooted social norms that place them below men. Societal judgements made women stay away from dating apps in general. There are 3 men for every woman on dating apps. When we launched, we had to change this skew and encourage Indian women to feel liberated from societal judgements that hold them back, so they are free and empowered to make their own choices in love, life and business. We did that by building a community of empowered women, and men who respect strong women, by placing the power back in woman’s hands of making the first move. We collaborated with Priyanka Chopra Jonas, global star and Bumble’s partner and investor, knowing this would tear down generation’s old stigmas, and start conversations, as She embodies every mode of the app.

Describe the execution (20% of vote)

Bumble’s #EqualNotLoose campaign was broadcast across the country on TV, OTT platforms, and digitally, and will be supported by hundreds of outdoor placements across the top eight metros in India. We picked everyday environments frequented by Bumble’s audience such as gyms, cafes, and workplaces and customised messaging at these places, making sure the messages seamlessly integrated with the touch-point driving down the message at a moment of receptivity. We also created an interactive print ad, “______Not loose” on the front page of India’s biggest daily ‘The Times of India’ asking women to fill in the blank with their own description of themselves. The integrated campaign across mediums opened floodgates of conversation and debate. Turning centuries of patriarchy and misogyny on its head. With influencers and women across the country spearheading the thought, it gave women exactly what the app intended to do – empowering women to make the first move.

List the results (30% of vote)

#EqualNotLoose empowered over 2 million women who made the first move. 60 % of them use it for more than just dating. Women in India send 2x as many messages on Bumble, than women in the rest of the world. #EqualNotLoose The TVC garnered 12.8 million TV impressions PCJ's single IG post received 1.87 million views, 216k likes, and 1,300 comments Bumble_India posting of the #equalnotloose commercial received 16.5k views, 1,500 likes, and 29 comments Aping us, one of the biggest dating apps (Tinder) introduced the feature “My Move” letting women take the initiative in the mating ritual. A great sign of the change we’re driving in realizing Bumble’s vision of creating a world free of misogyny