Our society expects people to behave according to their gender. Men should “man up” and never cry, whilst women are expected to be more sensitive and emotional. Even our jobs are somehow gendered: Engineering and constructions are occupations for men, whereas teaching or PR are considered to be “female-gendered” roles. These traditional gender “norms” society expects us to follow are harmful and may lead to inequalities between men and women.
The gender stereotypes are not affecting our behavior only; they also influence the way we think — including what we find as romantic, sexy, or attractive in a partner. According to a survey commissioned by Bumble — the women-first dating app — 74% of adults confess that when it comes to romantic relationships and dating, there are different expectations and expected behaviors based on gender identity. This, in turn, fuels the “romance gap,” a phenomenon defined as “The discrepancy in behavior expected from male/masculine presenting people and female/feminine presenting people when dating and in relationships.”
You might not be familiar with the term, yet you might have experienced it. Tell us, why it is that when he declares his love after a month of a relationship, he’s considered passionate? But if a girl does the same, she’s tagged as “needy?” Or why does society think that if a man doesn’t text his date back, he’s playing cool? When a female does the same, she’s playing hard to get?
Bumble is aware of these norms’ unfairness. These unwritten “rules” prevent people from being authentic in a relationship so, in a new campaign developed with the help of agency 72andSunny Amsterdam, the app directs its efforts towards challenging dating’s traditional “standards.” At the heart of the “Romance Gap” campaign stays a 90-second-long video, showcasing women delivering an impactful speech about the inequalities in romance.
“An unexamined Romance Gap limits us, with almost 1 in 2 people agreeing that it makes it difficult to build equal relationships. The only way to reduce the Romance Gap is to acknowledge it exists and start an open conversation about how it impacts how we see ourselves, our partners, and our relationships. This new campaign, created with 72andSunny, aims to raise awareness and establish a vocabulary for the Romance Gap. Only when we are aware of it can we challenge each other to do away with gendered expectations of who should do what,” explains Naomi Walkland, Bumble’s VP for Europe.
Laura Visco, Executive Creative Director of 72andSunny, adds: “The ‘Gender Pay Gap’ is widely known but there is much less awareness and action around the ‘Romance Gap.’ Somehow, equality goes out the window when it comes to romance. This campaign aims to challenge unequal dating norms and empower women to find ways of talking about the issue with those they’re dating.”
The initiative is aimed at making romance equal and is in line with Bumble’s mission of encouraging ladies to make the first move and date in the way they choose to, not the way society dictates. The campaign runs in the UK, Ireland, France, The Netherlands, Sweden, Australia, and New Zealand as of March 10th. Also, to complement the film, the campaign features a dedicated microsite — available in English and French — which users can browse to learn more about the romance gap, with the digital campaign (including social media and influencers) being accompanied by media partnerships, and print ads.
Credits:
Client: Bumble
Agency: 72andSunny Amsterdam
Production Company: OB Management
Director: Amy Becker-Burnett
DOP: Joe Douglas
Producer: Lucy Bradley
EP: Sam Holmes
Post Production: Glassworks Amsterdam
Colorist: Scott Harris
Sound Design: Wave Studios Amsterdam, Alex Nicholls-Lee
Editing Company: Whitehouse Post
Editor: Scarlett Bovingdon
Music: Friday Music, Steph Grace-Summers
Executive Creative Director: Laura Visco
Senior Designer: Renée Lam, Sarah Hegyesy
Senior Writer: Lucy Dale
Strategy Director: Armando Potter
Strategist: Pauline Stickel
Brand Director: Laura van der Heiden
Brand Manager: Rob Hall, Hope Kennedy
Director of Communications: Kelsey Bozanich
Director of Production: Stephanie Oakley
Agency Producer: Sophie van den Berg
Business Affairs Director: Belinda Harford