In the past few weeks, logos resembling beehives, the word “Bumble” and catchy slogans written in colored chalk have been appearing on campus to advertise for the latest dating app.
The app “Bumble” connects potential partners by matching. If a match is made on Bumble, the female has to send the first message to the man with whom she matches. If the match is made between a same-sex couple, the rule does not apply. If she fails to reach out within 24 hours, the match disappears.
Some of Bumble’s posters were placed over other club and business announcements.
Senior exercise science major Ricky Malone said that during his daily commute to class, he saw eight posters on just one flagpole and said he was surprised the university did not get more upset about it.
Malone said although Ole Miss took the posters down, the university did not get as involved as he thought it would.
Malone said he was also approached by a Bumble representative, who asked him to spread awareness through Super Bowl parties.
“For every party I found, I’d get $50 and (Bumble would) pay for the beer and pizza as long as everyone downloaded Bumble,” Malone said.
Despite his contribution to Bumble, Malone said he still thought the posters were kind of cheesy and did not want to be affiliated with them.
Malone ended up being responsible for two parties, one of which he simply dropped the pizza and beer off, took some photos as proof and left to go to his own party.
He said Bumble is trying to encourage downloads through fun atmospheres. When explaining the concept to his partygoers, Malone said many people were confused.
Bumble did not say Malone had to make sure people actually used Bumble – they just had to download it. He said he thinks Bumble just wants to create a large presence on campus.
“There was a lot of people at our party. I’d say 60 plus,” Malone said.
He has not heard of anyone from the party actually successfully going on a date with Bumble, but Malone said he does know of some people who have been trying.
“I think traveling to bigger cities would be more effective, since everyone here knows each other,” Malone said. “I have a friend in London, and he’s going on a date with someone from Bumble.”
Regardless of whether people actually use the app or not, Malone said Bumble was useful for a pretty fun Super Bowl party and he will continue throwing parties and spreading the buzz.
Malone said students should expect some Bumble-sponsored events at baseball games and maybe merchandise brought to local bars.
Bumble is also sending Malone free stickers and T-shirts to distribute.
But not all Bumble users are enthusiastic about the app.
“The chalk was everywhere, so I was like, ‘Sure, I’ll just download it to check it out,’” freshman journalism major Megan Suttles said. “Why not?”
After downloading Bumble, Suttles said she was not impressed.
Suttles said she did not like Bumble because she is shy. She she waits for the guy to message first on Tinder, but he cannot on Bumble.
Freshman mechanical engineering major Bruno Cantu said the chalk ads definitely caught his attention because they alluded to memes, so he downloaded the app.
“One said ‘cash me on bumble how bow dah,’ and that made me want to look it up,” Cantu said.
He said he was disappointed to find out that Bumble was a dating app.
“I actually thought the advertising strategy was pretty interesting, but I don’t think I could ever see myself using a dating app,” Cantu said.
