The Ball is in Her Court

Ever heard of Bumble? Of course you have. This February, the dating app turned friend-maker turned business connector will air its first Big Game commercial during Super Bowl LIII, featuring the company’s global advisor, Serena Williams. The campaign, titled, “The Ball is in Her Court,” highlights the importance of making the first move—in life, in love, in career. We chatted with Emily Ramshaw, country lead for Bumble Canada about the campaign (we hope our giant girl crush on Serena didn’t show too much)! —Noa Nichol

For those who don’t know, what is Bumble?

Bumble is a social network by women, for everyone. It is way more than just a dating app, with three different modes (Bumble Bizz, Bumble BFF and Bumble Date) for professional networking, friend-finding and dating. Bumble is a mission-driven company that is dedicated to empowering women and helping end misogyny around the globe. We do this by putting women in control—on Bumble, in all heterosexual matches, women have to make the first move in order to start a conversation. We are growing our community of first movers as quickly as we can, with over 49 million users around the world, and more than 10 per cent of Canadians on Bumble.

Which came first? Bumble Date, BFF or Bizz?

Bumble Date was the first mode because the world of online dating was also one that needed to be disrupted, especially when it came to creating a safe space for women to meet someone online. Bumble turned online dating on its head by putting women in control, as well as banning users for unsafe behaviour like sending inappropriate photos or using offensive language. Bumble BFF followed in 2016 because many users were "hacking" Bumble to meet new friends around them; and Bizz followed in 2017 because of the need to network in a safe and supportive environment. The three different modes allow our users to be intentional about their connections and why they want to meet new people. And we know how important these types of relationships are to living a full and happy life.

How did the collaboration with Serena Williams come about? Any other cool people you’re working with this year?

We’re talking to lots of cool people, but we can’t say who just yet! Our collaboration with Serena has been a goal of our CEO and founder, Whitney Wolfe Herd’s, since she launched Bumble. She hoped that one day Serena, as the ultimate first mover, would want to share our message with the world. And now she is!

What is new "The Ball is in Her Court” all about, and why is Serena the perfect advisor for it?

The Ball is in Her Court is about inspiring women to take control of their own work and life—and not wait for permission. Serena is such a great spokesperson for this message because she has been first in so many things, and constantly moves forward towards her goals in all areas of her life. She is a role model to all of us.

Beyond Serena and the Super Bowl commercial, what will the campaign include?

Bumble has designated February 4th as “First Move Monday” in celebration of this movement. For every first move made on Bumble next Monday, February 4th through Friday the 8th, the company will donate to the Yetunde Price Resource Center—a charity hand-picked by Williams.

How can the rest of us women (and men) get involved?

Make the first move! It’s time to take control and recognize that you have the power already—you just need to harness it.

bumble.com