Dating app OkCupid emphasises real stories over selfies through #SubstanceOverSelfies

They say that ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’. But does that hold true for dating? While selfies are a trend right now, and seemingly here to stay, there is very little that they convey about one's personality, character and nature.

OkCupid, the dating app, launched its first digital campaign titled #SubstanceOverSelfies, which celebrates your story and not just a reflection of your phone’s front camera. The campaign went live in mid-December 2018 with over 100 leading influencers sharing their ‘substance selfies’ and campaign messaging, driving home the exact thought. Users followed in their footsteps with posts of their own, generating over a million impressions and an almost 20% engagement rate. On dating platforms particularly, selfies have taken a significant amount of mindspace and it is difficult to sift out the ‘right’ matches over photogenic ones.

The idea behind the campaign is to redefine the way you showcase yourself to the world. Influencers have represented themselves through a passion, interest or hobby that they believe defines them and communicates who they are. This has been beautifully depicted in several photos as participants have hidden their faces behind objects that represent their passions to convey that they are more than what meets the eye, they are more than just a selfie. It could be anything from a sport, book, camera, art or food.

Melissa Hobley, CMO, OkCupid, said, “On most online dating platforms, your profile picture is your identity and the first thing a potential partner sees. At OkCupid, though, it’s about showing the substance and the depth of the person. For example, we don’t let you set up your profile with two clicks, we don’t let you swipe on only a picture and we don’t let you have this super-fast, exposable experience.  We help you tell your story and allow you to access stories of others to make meaningful connections. Through #SubstanceOverSelfies, we take that core belief outside the app, to encourage our users to make connections based on substance rather than just nice selfies.”