Gen Z doesn’t date? Not true
Gen Zs don’t date? Not true.
They simply want deeper, more meaningful connections than any generation before them. The real villain holding them back? The soul-crushing fear of being perceived as “cringe” or facing public rejection.
As the dating app helping Gen Z create true, meaningful connections, Hinge wants to be the place where directness feels safe and encourages young singles to say what they actually want. To bring this to life for young Dutch singles, we knew we had to skip the sugar-coating and lean into total, unfiltered honesty. Because in the Netherlands, if you’re not direct, you’re invisible.
So, how did we show it instead of just preaching it?
We ditched the generic, feature-focused UGC contents and hijacked reality.
We cast some of the country's fastest-rising social stars like Jorren Verhessen and Jip Dijkstra, and captured their actual, messy, beautiful dating journeys in real-time. No filtered corporate scripts, just raw human connection. Because while looking for love is universal, every single person has a wild story to tell.
At the same time, we zoomed in on the hyper-relatable dating insecurities we all share, bringing them to life through beautifully crafted, authentic storytelling by artists like Zoë Love Smith. By putting a mirror up to those quiet, awkward anxieties, we showed the audience a simple truth: it’s okay, you’re not alone.
Our message to young singles was loud and clear: it’s completely okay to be different, it’s okay to get rejected, and it is absolutely okay to show up as your true, unedited self.