Bumble has apologized for one of its recent ad campaigns.
The popular dating app has been accused of making fun of celibate women in a new campaign, and Bumble has now issued an apology, admitting to making a “mistake.”
“Our ads referencing celibacy were an attempt to lean into a community frustrated by modern dating and instead of bringing joy and humor, we unintentionally did the opposite,” the company said in a statement.
The campaign – which only ran in the U.S. – featured slogans such as “you know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer,” and “thou shall not give up dating and become a nun.”
Bumble – which is one of the world’s most popular and best-known dating apps – insisted that it has “passionately stood up for women and marginalized communities, and their right to fully exercise personal choice” for years.
“We didn’t live up to these values with this campaign and we apologize for the harm it caused,” the company added.
The controversial ad – which was designed to launch Bumble’s revamped app – prompted widespread criticism on social media platforms.
The campaign was described as being “unbelievably insulting” and “tone-deaf” by some consumers.
