• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, April 9, 2024

It was probably inevitable that at some point, Hinge’s “Designed To Be Deleted” positioning would run into storage issues. In “Hingie Afterlife,” the latest iteration of the five-year-old campaign, the dating app is now sending all those deleted app icons into the Great Hereafter, a sort of modern version of the Pearly Gates.

Once couples find love and no longer need Hinge, they delete the app. Now, instead of just lingering in some cold device trashcan or dark alley, the tossed-aside icons ascend to heaven. They’re greeted by an angelic Patti Harrison (the comic actress known for "Shrill"), who lovingly reviews the illustrated love stories of the happy deleters. At least, the Oracle starts out lovingly enough. But she loses it as the logjam starts.

And in a first for the company, these happy endings are based on real Hinge couples, including two people with the same name and same pizza preferences, a pair who consider Rhode Island to be paradise, and two who bond over the theory that New Zealand might not exist, before heading there on vacation.

Wieden + Kennedy created the campaign, which includes short and long-form versions of the film. Ads will appear in the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia on YouTube, social media and streaming platforms. The campaign is scheduled to run through early summer.

Over the years, the company has delighted in ways to destroy Hingie, the square plush icon, and this version is no exception.

The company says its research found that Gen Z daters don’t mind seeing Hingie die, with 55% saying they are attracted to dark humor.

“It’s fun to celebrate real love stories from Hinge couples, and we hope these films bring some joy and encouragement to people on their dating journey,” says Jackie Jantos, Hinge’s chief marketing officer, in the announcement.

Hinge, owned by Match, continues to be one of the fastest-growing brands in Match’s portfolio, which also includes Tinder, BLK and Match.com.

Hinge remains among the top three most downloaded apps in English-speaking and European markets. In Match’s most recent quarterly results, Hinge revenues jumped 50% to $116 million, compared to an 11% gain at Tinder and a 9% increase in other brands. The company believes that as it expands into new markets, Hinge can grow into a $1 billion brand over the next few years.