HINGE, ‘NO ORDINARY LOVE’
A literary campaign celebrating real, imperfect love through six author-written stories inspired by real Hinge couples.
CLIENT:
HINGE
HINGE
CATEGORY:
BRAND CAMPAIGN
BRAND CAMPAIGN
DELIVERABLES:
IDENTITY · DIGITAL AND PRINTED ZINE · OOH · SOCIAL
IDENTITY · DIGITAL AND PRINTED ZINE · OOH · SOCIAL
ROLE:
SR. DESIGNER
SR. DESIGNER
OVERVIEW
A literary anthology for modern romance
No Ordinary Love reframes what it means to have a “story-worthy” relationship. Instead of perfect meet-cutes, the campaign celebrates the messy, honest, and beautifully imperfect beginnings of real couples who met on Hinge.
Partnering with six contemporary authors, Hinge and Dazed created an 80-page zine and a global campaign that translated real couple stories into BookTok-worthy narratives.
This project is an extension of Hinge’s Designed to be Deleted platform — but with a new tone: reflective, literary, intimate.
PROJECT GOALS & CONTEXT
Business & brand goals
- Bring cultural relevance to Hinge’s brand and expand audience connection among Gen Z.
- Reposition “imperfect” beginnings as meaningful, relatable, and worthy of celebration.
-
Translate real couple stories into a format Gen Z actively engages with: BookTok, romance literature, author-driven storytelling.
Audience insight
Gen Z is deeply fluent in BookTok culture — annotations, romance tropes, marginalia, literary discourse — but skeptical of overly polished dating narratives.
Opportunity: bring romance storytelling to a real-life, imperfect place.
Campaign idea
Turn real Hinge couple stories into a literary anthology — a modern textbook for love.
OVERVIEW
A literary anthology for modern romance
No Ordinary Love reframes what it means to have a “story-worthy” relationship. Instead of perfect meet-cutes, the campaign celebrates the messy, honest, and beautifully imperfect beginnings of real couples who met on Hinge.
Partnering with six contemporary authors, Hinge and Dazed created an 80-page zine and a global campaign that translated real couple stories into BookTok-worthy narratives.
This project is an extension of Hinge’s Designed to be Deleted platform — but with a new tone: reflective, literary, intimate.
INSIGHT
“We know from our research that young people are consistently craving meaningful connections, not only with people but also from the media that they consume. We've seen the resurgence and rise of zines, books, blog-style formats, podcasts and tangible, nostalgic and personality-driven mediums. For this project with Hinge, we wanted to show how dating apps are redefining love stories, exciting future couples to let go of first date pressures."
Izzy Farmiloe, Strategy Director of Dazed Studio
THE IDEA
Six novellas were written by six leading literary figures about the tangled love journeys of six couples navigating the wild terrain of love.
Six novellas were written by six leading literary figures about the tangled love journeys of six couples navigating the wild terrain of love.
01.
“Work in Progress” - written by Roxane Gay: A love story for people who are figuring it out together.
“Work in Progress” - written by Roxane Gay: A love story for people who are figuring it out together.
02.
“Playing Tag” - written by R. O. Kwon: A love story for people who run from relationships.
“Playing Tag” - written by R. O. Kwon: A love story for people who run from relationships.
03.
“You Again” - written by John Paul Brammer: A love story for people who are open to new (and old) possibilities.
“You Again” - written by John Paul Brammer: A love story for people who are open to new (and old) possibilities.
04.
“Love Notes” - written by Brontez Purnell: A love story for people who want to get on the same page.
“Love Notes” - written by Brontez Purnell: A love story for people who want to get on the same page.
05.
“Only One Rule” - written by Isle McElroy: A love story for people who make up their mind (and then change it).
“Only One Rule” - written by Isle McElroy: A love story for people who make up their mind (and then change it).
06.
“Nothing Serious” - written by Oisín McKenna: A love story for people who can’t always see what’s right in front of them.
“Nothing Serious” - written by Oisín McKenna: A love story for people who can’t always see what’s right in front of them.
THE EXECUTION
The anthology was designed and distributed online and in print through an 80 page zine and out-of-home placements across New York, London & Sydney turning subway cars, train platforms, and bus stops into unexpected reading moments. Physical drops, pop-ups, an editorial series on DAZED, and direct distribution to literary and cultural communities extended its reach.
Digitally, the campaign rolled out across a custom microsite, social storytelling, and partnerships with influencers and press. Organic content from the couples and writers amplified the campaign’s reach.
THE IMPACT