Valentine's Day is the Super Bowl for dating apps. While competitors fought expensive bidding wars for ad space, we side-stepped the auction entirely. We released a cultural anthem featuring top South Asian artists, turning a marketing campaign into a viral pop-culture moment that drove organic growth.
The Friction: Competing in the "Super Bowl" of Dating
The Cost of Noise - Valentine's Day is the most expensive time of year to advertise. CPMs skyrocket as Match Group and Bumble flood the market.
The "Utility" Trap - Dil Mil was seen as a functional tool for meeting people, but lacked emotional resonance.
Ad Fatigue - Users were blind to standard "swipe now" messaging. We needed to earn attention, not rent it.
The insight was simple: our demographic loves music, art, and dance. Instead of creating an ad that interrupted their experience, we decided to become part of their experience and take Valentine's Day in a different direction. We partnered with @humblethepoet, @samicamusic, @ritualbydesign, @bfunk, and @raaginder to showcase and discuss what love meant to each of them, a different take on what love can be.
Talent as Distribution: We cast a variety of creatives with massive followings to guarantee immediate organic distribution.
The "Content Waterfall": We cut the video into 15s teasers for Stories on IG, vertical cuts for TikTok, and BTS footage for engagement. We also created a long-form video combining all of the conversations for YouTube distribution.
The "Double-Funnel": Users who watched 50%+ of the video were retargeted with direct "Install Now" ads.
Viral Reach: 2.3M+ total views across platforms
Direct Growth: 57% uplift in organic and paid installs during the campaign window
Cultural Impact: 91,900 shares and 10,800+ comments
Efficiency: Lowered overall CAC by warming up audiences with entertainment first
2.3M Campaign Views
57% Install Uplift
91.9K IG + YouTube Shares
We stopped selling the app and started selling the feeling. By focusing on high-quality storytelling and sound, we bypassed the mental "ad blockers" users have up during holidays.
Valentine's Day is the Super Bowl for dating apps. While competitors fought expensive bidding wars for ad space, we side-stepped the auction entirely. We released a cultural anthem featuring top South Asian artists, turning a marketing campaign into a viral pop-culture moment that drove organic growth.
2.3M*
Campaign Views
57%*
Install Uplift
91.9K*
IG + YouTube Shares
Valentine's Day is the Super Bowl for dating apps. While competitors fought expensive bidding wars for ad space, we side-stepped the auction entirely. We released a cultural anthem featuring top South Asian artists, turning a marketing campaign into a viral pop-culture moment that drove organic growth.
The Friction: Competing in the "Super Bowl" of Dating
The Strategic Unlock: "Don't Interrupt the Content. Be the Content."
The insight was simple: our demographic loves music, art, and dance. Instead of creating an ad that interrupted their experience, we decided to become part of their experience and take Valentine's Day in a different direction. We partnered with @humblethepoet, @samicamusic, @ritualbydesign, @bfunk, and @raaginder to showcase and discuss what love meant to each of them, a different take on what love can be.
The Engine
The campaign generated 2.3M+ views across platforms with 91.9K shares and 10.8K comments, driving a 57% uplift in organic and paid installs during the campaign window. More importantly, it shifted Dil Mil's brand perception from 'utility app' to 'cultural movement.' By warming up audiences with entertainment first, we lowered overall CAC and built a library of high-performing creative assets that continued driving results months after launch.
*Results represent approximate figures from Valentine's Day 2020 campaign.
We stopped selling the app and started selling the feeling. By focusing on high-quality storytelling and sound, we bypassed the mental "ad blockers" users have up during holidays.
*Data reflects approximate performance metrics from 2018-2021 based on the author's recollection and is not an official disclosure by Dil Mil or its parent company.