Filteroff

2022, Marketing Campaign, New York City

Filteroff, Reality On: Launch Campaign for A Single-Stream Dating App

fig 1.“Filteroff, Reality On” campaign’s main visual, poster collection in order

CLIENT

Fileroff

TEAM

William Eom - Design Director
Tyler Rice - Copywriter
Grace Moon - CX Director
Patsy Buckley - Strategist

deliverables

Research: Market Landscape Report
Strategy: Marketing Mix & Design for Diversity (D4D) Report
Design: Concept Development, Ready-to-launch Assets

Table of Contents

1_The Challenge
2_Research Method
3_Insight
4_Final Design Solution
5_Closing Thoughts

Honest Connections through Interest-Based Matchmaking

Filteroff launched in February of 2020 with a goal of creating an online dating experience that focuses on interest and value-based connections. The app bloomed during the first wave of the COVID-19 quarantine as people were craving for human interaction beyond the doomswiping of flat profiles, but the unique offering that once brought in curious users soon became the reason they didn’t stick around to be a cult following. How could the Filteroff team reinforce their position in the market and create an outward appearance to attract the right users?

fig 2. main UIs of the Filteroff app (2024)

The Challenge

While most apps simply use interest tags as references for matches to spark conversation, Filteroff takes them seriously. Taking away the seeming “empowerment” that swiping culture gives daters and providing AI-generated matches based on interest, Filteroff’s new spin on video call blind dates is not for the faint of heart. How can we gain our potential users trust and empower them to take the leap of faith?

The Process

After assessing the as-is state of the app’s marketing and UX approach, the identified pain points were used as drivers to rewrite Filteroff’s Playbook. Once approved, the team set on to create original assets (photography, graphics, copywriting) for the campaigned as outlined in the project brief & for future use thereon out.

The Outcome

When the campaign and strategy was presented to Filteroff’s CMO, the suggestion to push three “missing pieces” was well received. These three growth areas included: 1. Publicity in the Right Spaces, 2. Expansion to Events & Groups, and 3. Building a single-match user experience rather than selection-based.

fig 3. the first iteration of Filteroff’s marketing campaign. The message is congruent with the app’s main feature but lacks excitement and flare

Filteroff employed a never-done-before virtual speed dating experience as their core UX flow, and for non-serious daters, this was a high effort task not worth taking. Users will be put on speed dates up to 3 minutes with multiple users to get an idea if there will be any future dates or not, allowing potential couples to get to know each other beforehand and connect on a deeper level. The app has another unique feature that allows users to join speed dating events, some of which are location based or based on your interests. Various organizations also host events, including non-profits and religious groups. Filter Off also has a blog that offers tips on virtual dating. We took this as a caveat when pitching for their Fall 2022 advertising following a revamp of the brand’s marketing strategy calls upon users to “Streamline Your Dating Experience,” a direct call to new users highlighting the app’s no bullsh*t promise.

fig 4. photoshoot & concept sketch emphasizing the human faces behind the interest-based matchmaking process

Visualizing the Behind-the-Scenes

The strategy of the campaign boiled down to make this relatively new app’s AI algorithm less intimidating and reveal the interdependence between its users and successful matchmaking. It seeks to bring in more users, which provides more specific inputs with personalized filters. This gives all users better curated "sets of interest" for matching.
By making the AI algorithm seem collaborative, not complex, the campaign aims to show how the algorithm empowers users to embrace personalization, not portray it as an opaque system.

fig 5.”Filteroff, Reality On” Strategy Report

The Dating World’s Missing Piece

With Filteroff not yet being a major player in the online dating world, the lack of accumulated reviews and press coverage made the app look less credible than its market competitors. To prove that the online service could walk the talk, the campaign aimed to highlight real-life testimonials and success stories from a diverse range of couples spanning various ages, interests, sexual orientations, and beyond. And to further promote the app’s “one match at a time” approach, we suggested to show a linear journey of a single match rather than promoting the notion of endless options—something that’s been tried and true by apps such as Tinder and OkCupid already.

DESIGN

Developing the Narrative & Design Vision

We were inspired to reinforce the message of equitable exchange (the mutual benefit between Filteroff and its users). We sought to translate this ethos by incorporating real potential users of the app in the brainstorming process of our campaign.

fig 6. moodboard capturing the composition and mood, presented to Filteroff pre-photoshoot.

The Art Direction of Filteroff, Reality On

Key identifiers of our moodboard included bubbly yet mature color tones, and an active interaction of each subjects between either the environment or themselves. Below is a sample anatomy of our final campaign content in print matter:

fig 8 (a, b).metro posters and Instagram advertisement, all showing a new couple and their Filteroff matching experience.

A small app doing big things.

Love runs the world. So what better way to share a new way of putting yourself out there than to sprinkle the campaign around all physical (and virtual) corners around the city? As the campaign planning took place, looked into how our three-panel Filteroff journeys can be placed in traditional advertising spaces like the metro station and wildposts all the way to virtual platforms such as Instagram or even, LinkedIn.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

On Finding Love

Filteroff's long-term goal is to cultivate a vibrant community that embraces the principle that one should not judge a book by its cover. I would like to add a personal caveat—finding love is not solely about sex and romance. If you step back and broaden your perspective, it also manifests in the invaluable interactions between you and the individuals you encounter daily. Whether they are in your life through familial ties or shared interests, take a moment to appreciate your community and the people around you. Whether they be in your life by blood or by shared interest, take a moment to appreciate your community and the people around you.