OkCupid encourages you to get out of the closet with new digital campaign

To celebrate the  stories that come to life everyday, OkCupid created a  video capturing three diverse answers to questions on the app. Every answer presents the joy and freedom experienced by the LGBTQ+ community in their pursuit for meaningful connections. 

With the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Article 377, came a celebration - truths were told, voices were heard, identities were owned and so many firsts were born. This pride month, OkCupid, the platform built to celebrate individual identities and help you find the sort of love you choose, reached out to members of the LGBTQ+ community to bring to light stories that are just coming out - first dates, first decisions, first moments, first courage, first change, first freedom, first acceptance. To ring in this historic month of pride, made particularly special by the Supreme court’s decision less than a year back, OkCupid launched its latest digital campaign, #LoveAtFirstPride to celebrate love beyond binary identities. 

With 55% men and 82% women on the app expressing support for gay marriage and an average of 79% expressing a deep support for LGBTQ issues, India is taking early steps towards celebrating diversity and individuality. While we are seeing that across the world, there is growing respect and acceptance for people to express themselves. The idea behind this campaign is to celebrate this freedom which extends to all gender identities. This has been captured in the video with LGBTQi influencers answering questions like, ‘How much would you reveal about yourself on a first date?, ‘What are your views on moving on with your partner?’ and ‘What are your thoughts on PDA?’. These questions are loud and the answers are surely proud. Sometime back, people would not be outrightly asking or hearing from the LGBTQi community on these questions, especially on public platforms. But the times have changed.

The campaign was launched in the middle of pride month and in less than a week, it has received an overwhelming response generating almost a million impressions with an engagement of 50k across platforms.

Melissa Hobley, CMO, OkCupid says, “The most beautiful, meaningful and rewarding connections are formed when people are able to identify and are celebrated as their authentic selves. With 13 sexual orientations, 22 gender options and over 3000 questions on the platform, we make sure our users are matched with people on the same wavelength as you. This pride month, we join hands with the LGBTQ+ community to celebrate #LoveAtFirstPride, bringing the joy of love in every shade of the rainbow. Working with the community and the overwhelming response to the film have filled our hearts with joy and hope.” 

One of the influencers in the video is Pratul Narang, a 25 year old media professional who quit his dream job to pursue his dream of becoming a writer, producer and host. While talking about his experience as a member of the LGBTQi community as well as being a part of the campaign, he says, “After the historic decision last year, I am overwhelmed by emotions and the support for the community. Though the fight for acceptance is ongoing, we are taking steps in the right direction by recognizing that LGBTQ+ people are also humans and they have rights too. #LoveAtFirstPride for me is a way to tell all the marginalized individuals that we are in this together,  to celebrate our love with the world and to walk with Pride which is just as much our right, as anyone else’s. I stand by the message of the campaign as any equal representation of different sexual orientations and identities is a win for us. As far as meeting people or finding a partner/ date is concerned, for queer people, the traditional ways were always very difficult. Online dating apps like OkCupid are a good way to let young people take control of their love life and choose a partner they deem fit, irrespective of their gender.”

Lauren Robinson, another influencer featured in the video is an actor and theatre-maker, says, “My experience hasn’t changed a lot after 377. It was a step made towards progress but as humans we have a long way to go to actually celebrate differences around us. #LoveAtFirstPride makes me think about the first proud moment of free love, which I associate with myself. The day one looks at the mirror, comfortable in their skin, their clothes, in their expression and their being. I participated in this campaign because I like to share parts of me through the projects I take up. For the first time, it encouraged many sides of myself to be discussed and have fun in the process. My expectations from campaigns like these is to embrace everything as a norm, rather than try to be different. As for dating apps like OkCupid that have gender options beyond binary, I think it is great. These platforms bridge the gap and the awkwardness which one often feels while approaching anyone, especially when we operate from outside the norm.”

Commenting further on the campaign, Kabir Kochhar, Founding Partner, The Glitch says, “The #LoveatFirstPride campaign is the manifestation of OkCupid and The Glitch’s core values of inclusivity and authenticity. Our intent was to bring forth real experiences by real individuals, driving home the truth that Love is Love regardless of sexual orientation. We couldn’t have found a better partner to make this film with, because OkCupid’s core philosophy of making meaningful connections cuts across all barriers. We are encouraged by the overwhelming number of heartfelt responses we have received on this campaign, reminding us that when a brand brings forth authentic stories, the impact will always be outsized.”