HINGE has unveiled its new dating app with The Dating Apocalypse, an animated campaign created by the STUDIO.
The New York based digital production company has helped HINGE reveal some of the horrors of modern dating apps with a beautiful, animated online film.
Set to the soundtrack of Heart鈥檚 What About Love, the video is both the unveiling of HINGE鈥檚 rebrand and the launch of the company鈥檚 new app, which completely does away with the now commonplace swiping feature.
The campaign plays on a term last year, who proclaimed that we鈥檙e living through a Dating Apocalypse, in a scene that has been crippled by swiping apps.
Tired of this mindless swipe culture, HINGE - working in collaboration with Red Antler - approached the STUDIO, who were tasked with bringing an animated story about the Dating Apocalypse to life.
On the campaign鈥檚 concept, Mary Nittolo, Founder and CCO of the STUDIO, explains: 鈥淚t was extraordinary to have a project where we had the opportunity to create parallel universes - the dysphoric world of compulsive and unfulfilled relationships and the idealized place where real connection happens. After we were locked on the animation, the HINGE team suggested adding the references to iconic film romances. They were a brilliant touch - they added a delightful, fairy tale feel to the HINGE world. The HINGE team were amazing clients. At one of the reviews, Katie Hunt, HINGE鈥檚 CBO, was actually moved to tears.鈥
The story itself follows a hapless hero who forgets how to interact with people, swiping his hands in front of potential love interests instead of engaging with them. Growing tired of 鈥楧ate-O-Pocalypse鈥, he escapes through an exit, meeting a girl in 鈥楬INGE world鈥 who snaps him out of his dating daze.
鈥淭o capture the character鈥檚 subtlety, we hired actors - specifically two that were in a relationship - and recorded their performances with the HINGE team and ourselves directing the action,鈥 explains Mary.
An 18-strong team of artists worked on the project, comprised primarily of the STUDIO staff alongside a small supplement of freelancers. Starting the project in July, the team went through multiple rounds of character designs and concept art in an attempt to capture the correct style for the piece.
For the rides, which include Cycle of Loneliness, Catch a Catfish and The One Nighter, the team retained a lot of creative freedom to create tongue-in-cheek attraction that, for the most part, remained the same as the initial sketches.
鈥淭hese are the kind of projects I love,鈥 adds Mary. 鈥淚t was a real collaborative effort to make this project happen on schedule considering the other projects we were already committed to. Our team is so amazing 鈥 polymaths really, because several people produced extraordinary work outside of their typical discipline.鈥
Along with the animated film, the STUDIO collaborated with HINGE to create social media content, including a series of memes, GIFs, videos and promotional trailer, and a press kit, entailing a gift box with a full map of the Dating Apocalypse carnival and a ticket to 鈥淓scape the Games and Find Something Real鈥.
The campaign is live now and can be seen here: