Bumble has apologized for an ad campaign that told people not to be celibate, which caused a stir on social media. Now, the dating app company says it is removing the ads and will donate to the National Domestic Violence Hotline and other organizations as part of their work to support women.
The ads appeared in billboard form and were spotted in Los Angeles and other U.S. cities. “A vow of celibacy is not the answer,” the bright yellow sign reads, according to photos from witnesses.
After images of the billboard went viral, many social media users criticized the company, with one person writing that the ad was an attempt to shame celibacy and abstinence.
Some people dubbed it a “Bumble fumble,” while others on social media said they didn’t see anything wrong with the ad.
Even the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health joined the chatter around the ad controversy, sharing their own photoshopped versions of the Bumble ad. “Thou shall not neglect regular health screenings,” one of the mock ads reads. “Drinking raw milk is not the answer,” reads another.
Bumble apologized for the anti-celibacy sentiment and said they made 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 posted on social media.
“Some of the perspectives we heard were: from those who shared that celibacy is the only answer when reproductive rights are continuously restricted; from others for whom celibacy is a choice, and from the asexual community, for whom celibacy can have a particular meaning and importance, which should not be diminished,” the statement reads. “We also understand that for many, celibacy might be brought on by harm or trauma.”
The brand said it was removing the ads from its global marketing campaign and would donate to organizations that support women, like the National Domestic Violence Hotline, offering those partners the billboard space to display an ad of their choice.
After feeling pressure from dissatisfied customers about ads, some brands make similar moves and completely change or remove their controversial campaigns. Others, however, have stood by their polarizing ads.
In December 2023, Zara pulled an ad that some social media users said resembled images from Gaza, sparking calls for a boycott. The ad showed a model holding a mannequin wrapped in white cloth, which some felt looked like images of dead children in Gaza during the Israel and Hamas war.
The clothing retailer said the campaign was “conceived in July and photographed in September,” before the war began. Still, they decided to remove the ads because “some customers felt offended by these images.”
And in December 2022, fashion brand Balenciaga apologized for an ad that featured children holding teddy bear bags outfitted in what appears to be bondage gear. The brand removed the images and designer Demna Gvasalia said he wanted to personally apologize for the ad, saying on social media he “would NEVER have an intention to do that with such an awful subject as child abuse that I condemn.”
And after receiving backlash – and a slump in sales – after a Bud Light partnership with trans actress and model Dylan Mulvaney in 2023, parent company Anhauser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth released a statement alluding to the backlash.
“We’re honored to be part of the fabric of this country, he said, adding that the company employs 18,000 people and has 47,000 colleagues at independent distributors. “We have thousands of partners, millions of fans and a proud history supporting our communities, military, first responders, sports fans and hard-working Americans everywhere.”
The company also released an ultra-patriotic ad with a message that seemed to try to win back customers who boycotted the beer: “This is a story bigger than beer, this is the story of the American spirit,” the narrator says at the end, as the words “This Bud’s for you,” appear on screen.
