David Brown

When Bumble debuted in 2014, it made a bold promise.

Unlike other dating apps, women would make the first move.

It was framed as the feminist answer to hookup culture.

And the message resonated.

In 2021, Bumble's IPO exploded onto Wall Street.

The stock surged on its first day of trading, pushing the company's valuation close to $14 billion.

Its founder, Whitney Wolf Hurd, became the youngest self-made female billionaire at just 31.

But that high didn't last.

Revenue growth slowed, and the stock cratered, down more than 80% from its peak.

Wolf Hurd lost her billionaire status and eventually stepped down as CEO.

And Bumble isn't alone with these issues either.

Across the dating app world, users are exhausted.

People are deleting apps, skipping swipes, and opting out altogether.

Some even say celibacy sounds better than suffering through one more miserable meetup.

Bumble has spent months trying to adapt, but this billboard campaign with its anti-celibacy message lands with a thud.

To many of Bumble's core users, particularly women, it feels like the brand is scolding the very people it once claimed to empower.

Within hours, social media is flooded with outrage, including this YouTuber's incredulous reaction.

Plenty of other creators agree.

And some say they're insulted enough to dump Bumble altogether, including one TikToker who mocks the new ads.

As the backlash spreads, Bumble's top brass pulls the campaign.