Hinge has become a highlight business for parent company Match Group and is expected to become a $1 billion annual revenue enterprise by 2027. This dating app, with the slogan "Designed to be deleted," continues to promote real love stories that happen on the platform, while working to improve the underlying social and dating ecosystem through financial support and marketing power.

Among Hinge's Gen Z user base, the current state of dating is quite grim. Contributing to the decline in dating is a general decrease in social connections, a trend exacerbated by the pandemic, smartphones, and social media. The U.S. Surgeon General found in 2023 that Gen Z spends 1,000 fewer hours per year on in-person social interaction than their peers did 20 years ago.

Hinge's "One More Hour" initiative, launched in 2023, aims to help young people build offline connections by providing grants to social groups and organizations in major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Atlanta. The brand has provided over $2 million in grants and plans to invest an additional $1.5 million globally this year. Hinge's revenue grew 28% in the first quarter of 2026.

"Our mission is to create a less lonely world, and that runs through everything we do—product, marketing, communications, and social impact work—because being able to help people feel comfortable going out and talking to others is crucial to us," said Tamika Young. She was promoted to Chief Marketing and Communications Officer last December, after Chief Marketing Officer Jackie Jantos was elevated to CEO.

"One More Hour" currently encompasses grants, events, and a directory of social groups, featuring 83 groups in New York, Los Angeles, and London. This month, Hinge invited young people in multiple cities worldwide to nominate local groups worthy of funding. But the program does not require promoting or downloading the app, aiming to build trust with Gen Z by not treating communities as marketing channels, especially as some brands have scaled back community engagement amid backlash against purpose-driven and DEI-related marketing.

"We've heard from organizations that they were on the verge of giving up, and a $25,000 grant gave them hope and optimism to continue because they're doing remarkable work," Young said. "I hope other brands can see the opportunity rather than trying to slap a brand label on it or co-opt the experience or the community being built."

Marketing to Gen Z

Last month, Hinge launched "Can't Believe We Met on Hinge," the latest chapter of its "It's Funny We Met on Hinge" campaign. The third chapter of the campaign includes a series of videos depicting people's emotional states before finding a partner through the app. Through this content, Hinge aims to engage Gen Z, who make up more than half of its user base.

"We have to keep evolving to show an authentic reflection of what Gen Z is experiencing in reality. If the picture we paint doesn't reflect the true reality of Gen Z's dating journey, that would be very dishonest," Young said.

The content blends footage shot by couples, archival clips from their photo albums, and a textured visual language. The campaign was developed in collaboration with creative collective Birthday and directed by filmmaker India Sleem, and will air across streaming, cinema, and social media in the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Australia through July. Hinge strives to integrate the target group into the creative and production process.

"We brought in a Gen Z producer and a Gen Z photographer to help amplify these voices," Young said. "In terms of how the content is presented, we've injected more playfulness, joy, and archival material because we know Gen Z craves nostalgia. A lot of those elements are woven into the film."

"Can't Believe We Met on Hinge" includes the vulnerability, awkwardness, and frustration of dating—like deleting the app and then redownloading it—to authentically convey the Gen Z dating experience. In this way, real couples share their stories, footage, and photos, similar to a modern version of The New York Times' Vows column.

"People find partners on Hinge, and people are willing to share their stories—the ups and downs, the twists and turns, all of it—because it's important to show the real truth of what people go through," Young said. "That's the foundation of all our storytelling, and I think it's why Hinge continues to succeed and grow in a category that's been declining."