• by Danielle Oster , 4 hours ago

Tinder closed out the year with a pair of campaigns promoting the popular dating app during a busy season for online dating.

Ahead of the holidays, Tinder kicked off a “Breakup Bangs” campaign Dec. 11 – dubbed “Breakup Day,” based on research from an earlier era of the Internet which determined that as the prime day for Facebook relationship status changes from “in a relationship” to “single.”

Tinder’s tongue-in-cheek “Breakup Bangs” campaign, created in collaboration with the brand’s creative agency of record, Mischief, and the agency’s production arm, The Candy Factory, is based on the major hairstyle reinvention that can follow a breakup. The campaign centered around a giveaway promoted on its Instagram page, offering a chance to win free wearable bangs to try the look out without any lasting changes.

“After a breakup, there’s always that urge to make a bold change — and for a lot of us, that means bangs,” Tinder Global Brand Director Devin Colleran said in a statement. “‘Breakup Bangs’ taps into that universal moment with something a little less permanent and a lot more fun.”

This month, Tinder also launched “Year In Swipe 2025,” which identified dating trends on the app and analyzed how behaviors changed compared to the previous year. Tinder identified trends including Clear-Coding, Friendfluence, and Emotional Vibe Coding.

Tinder defines “Clear Coding” as clear and direct expression. Sixty-four percent of young singles consider emotional honesty “what dating needs most,” while 37% of singles surveyed said shared values were essential in dating. That’s according to a survey of 4,000 singles aged 18-25 active on the app, conducted by Opinium this October-November on behalf of Tinder. Emotional availability was also important, with 56% of respondents saying “honest conversations matter most.”

With the Friendfluence trend, 42% of young singles surveyed said friends influence their dating life, with 37% reporting they planned on going on a group or double date in the next year. Tinder is leaning into group dating with its Double Date feature introduced this year.

“Singles are looking for a connection that feels easy,honest and a little bit fun. They’re done overthinking every message and overanalyzing every match,” Tinder CMO Melissa Hobley said in a statement. “You can already see that energy in what’s shaping 2026 - singles are saying exactly what they want, standing for what they believe in, and leading with honesty and openness.”

Tinder’s “Year In Swipe” also shared data related to US users of the app from January 1-October 1,2025, providing a snapshot across a number of categories. Taylor Swift topped the list of tcelebrities, while “The Bear” was the most popular TV show. The classic movie date topped the list of date activities on the platform, followed by hiking and attending a concert.

The analytical focus exemplifies a broader marketing strategy for Tinder --  focused on “fueling category consideration, bringing in new and lapsed users through product-led storytelling that reflects real experiences happening across our brands,” Spencer Rascoff, CEO for Tinder parent company Match Group said during a Q3 earnings call.

“Re-engaging the 30 million lapsed users and attracting the 220 million potential first-time entrants expands our user base, building a healthier, more efficient growth engine that compounds over time, and we are investing to capture this large, addressable market,” he added. “Hinge continues to prove that with the right product experience and brand positioning, we can win with Gen Z and drive real growth at scale. Soon, we believe Tinder will too.”