Bumble drops controversial ad poking fun at celibacy, abstinence, issues apology

Bumble has fumbled, working quickly fix the damage caused by an ad campaign that mocks the choice of celibacy and abstinence as a long-term dating solution. 

The company apologized for the blunder on social media, days after social media users began to criticize Bumble’s new taglines online.

People, particularly women, were quick to point out that the tone of the ads was anything but empowering, using shame to coerce women into getting back on the app, one user wrote. 

“Bumble doing a campaign attempting to shame celibacy/abstinence is an unserious way to tell the public y'all are nervous,”  Cindy Noir wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “It’s also a very offensive way to tell your female customers that you’re profiting off of their legs being open.” 

The taglines, which ran in commercial and billboards, were part of a larger “transformation plan” announced in February to bring people back to the app. It also cut 350 employees in an attempt to “better align its operating model with future strategic priorities and to drive stronger operating leverage.” 

Here’s what we know. 

Bumble ad 'undermines' a woman's choice, others say it was just a 'bad ad'

A majority of the people who have come across Bumble's new ad and have posted about it online are pretty insulted by what the ad seems to insinuate. Others said the ad was just bad, writing that there was nothing controversial about it.

Here's what everyone's been saying about the Bumble ad online.

Bumbles pulls ads, plans to make donations to non-profit groups

Bumble says the choice to run the ad campaigns with those messages, including “You know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer” and “Thou shalt not give up on dating and become a nun” were intended to lean into a community frustrated by modern dating. 

“And instead of bringing joy and humor, we unintentionally did the opposite,” the company wrote. 

The company decided to pull the ads from its global marketing campaign after hearing multiple perspectives, writing that it failed its mission of “passionately standing up for women and marginalized communities, and their right to fully exercise personal choice.” 

The company's statement said it will be making a donation to the National Domestic Violence Hotline and other organizations that support women, marginalized communities and those impacted by abuse. 

These “partners” will also have the chance to run an ad of their choice in the place of Bumble’s stripped ad.

“Please keep speaking up and telling us how we can be better. We care about you and will always be here for you,” the statement reads.