MediaRadar's 12 Ads of Christmas: 9 Sites Romancing

So far, we’ve sent you 12 Engines Humming, 11 Cards a-Swiping, and 10 Sleepers Sleeping.

In this post, however, it’s not just the ladies that will be dancing…

“On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me,

Twelve Drummers Drumming,

Eleven Pipers Piping,

Ten Lords a-Leaping,

Nine Ladies Dancing,

Eight Maids a-Milking,

Seven Swans a-Swimming,

Six Geese a-Laying,

Five Gold Rings,

Four Calling Birds,

Three French Hens,

Two Turtle Doves,

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree!”

Today, MediaRadar sends to you, not “Ladies Dancing,” but 9 Sites Romancing.

Why? Because the holidays are no time to be lonely.

Holiday season is a tremendous opportunity to spend time with loved ones of all kinds – family, friends, and those that might be a little more than friends.

Ironically, the devices that have stymied human social skills to a degree, are the same devices that are now making it easier to find other people to hang out with, date, and simply connect with – these apps and sites make the process easier and more efficient.

So, regardless of all the toys or clothes we may receive, sometimes the best gifts aren’t something that need to be unwrapped.

This holiday, your gift-of-a-lifetime could be just a single swipe away.

And with that, we bring you 9 of our favorite dating app and website ads:

Match.com – “Match on the Street”

“Match on the street” ads have been around for awhile now, and are probably among the most noticeable dating site ads out there – brought to you by Match.com.

Throughout the life of the “match on the street” campaign, we’ve seen many questions asked to pedestrians.

In this particular ad, pedestrians are asked what they’d prefer to be doing when meeting someone they love, the idea being – it would be nice to meet someone while doing something you enjoy, perhaps at an event, a wine-tasting, even bungee jumping.

Match strives to help people make connections, regardless of how they do so.

eHarmony – “New and Improved”

Have you ever gotten a present that you just didn’t like – a present you received and thought, “Why did they think I would like this?”

It’s not the greatest feeling…

In this eHarmony ad, the idea is that, “New things aren’t always better.” A very relevant holiday sentiment.

The same could be said for dating apps. Fortunately, eHarmony users can rest easy, because their new app will surely bring you new relationships.

And in this case, new is better.

Plenty of Fish – “The Evolution of Conversation: The Victorian Icebreaker”

Dating apps are now how many people break the ice with someone they’d like to meet.

Before dating apps and sites, though, how did we all go about reaching out to potential friends and significant others? This ad could very well be the answer.

In this ad from Plenty of Fish, messages written in quill travel by horse carriage and ship, across colorful meadows, roaring seas, and barren lands, from one set of hands to another.

It is set in the Victorian age, and makes us wonder how people relayed messages to one another in times preceding communication devices.

Luckily, for us, we don’t have to worry about that… With dating apps and websites aplenty, an icebreaker is a few touchpoints away.

Badoo – “80s Video Dating…”

This ad is another adventure in time-travel, as we return to the land before smartphones.

This time, Badoo is bringing us back to the 80s, where communication was a little easier, but still a bit of a chore.

Badoo asks of dating, “How did we ever manage?”

And to be quite honest, that’s a difficult question to answer.

So this holiday, when you’re sitting around the family dinner table, be sure to ask your parents, your grandparents, “how did you manage?”

You never know, maybe their difficulty communicating is a story in itself.

Farmers Only – “Bowling Night”

Not every date is a gift from Ol’ Saint Nick…

This Farmers Only ad shows the trouble that some of us go through in finding the right kind of person to go out with.

Intentions go a long way in dating, in buying gifts… In most situations, to be honest.

The man in this ad is not looking for a true connection, but simply a trophy to bring home along with his bowling trophy…

In comes Farmers Only to save the day, however. A flanneled man appears, not only to be just the right kind of man, but also to be quite the bowler.

Roll a strike with the right people this holiday, and leave your trophies on the shelf – this time of year is for good intentions and even better gifts.

Hinge – “The Dating Apocalypse”

In our previous post, we touched a bit on how mattress companies are very fond of long-form ads. Here, we have another from Hinge.

In what could be considered an animated short, Hinge depicts a single man swiping his phone, and stumbling into the theme park of loneliness called, “Date-O-Pocalypse.”

Attractions include a haunted house called “Ghosted,” a Hall of Filters (rather than mirrors), and the Wheel of Disappointment (a play on the Ferris Wheel).

Our protagonist approaches one stand, “Swipe Out,” where he meets a potential match, only to be rejected by the game itself.

He walks away distraught, before coming across a door with a glowing, green “H” on it. Upon opening it, he discovers an entirely new experience.

It is one of real relationships and no swiping. He finds what we can assume is the girl of his dreams, and the ad finishes with Hinge’s tagline, “Escape the games. Find something real.”

Bumble – “Happy Holidays”

While many dating sites and apps focus on certain characteristics that people might have in common, like heritage, creed or profession, Bumble celebrates diversity.

The text reads “However you choose to celebrate, whatever you believe in, whomever you love, good people are all around you.”

The ads goes on to show a multitude of matches of all different sorts, each of which is as special as the last. The important thing here is that you’re around your loved ones and have a happy holiday season.

Coffee Meets Bagel – “This should be fun…”

Perhaps the best perk that comes with using a dating app? The opportunity to be unique at a glance.

This ad from Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB) shows the experience of a user creating her dating profile, trying to stand out from the rest…

And well, long story short, it can be hard to put the right gift-wrap on your entire existence in a mere few sentences.

The moral of this ad’s story is to include what you love in your dating app profile and be true to yourself.

If you truly believe in what’s inside the gift-wrap, then the rest should be easy…

Tinder – “Blunt Advice”

Tinder is one of the more active, inventive advertisers in the dating app space today.

Along with their “Tinder Success Story” and “Menprovement Initiative” campaigns, they have a series of video ads starring James Blunt, representing the company as their “Chief Blunt Officer.”

In each ad, James Blunt takes a quick look at a Tinder profile and gives some immediate, “Blunt” advice.

In this one, he sees a profile for someone named Kat. And Kat likes cats. She’s a cat lady…

Nevertheless, James Blunt has some advice for Kat regarding her profile, and it’s not great. If Kat doesn’t make some changes, she might be spending the holidays on her own…

In the end, whether you met them through an app, in the Victorian age, in the 80s, or in any way, we hope that your holiday is full of love and caring interactions.

Don’t forget to come back to see how MediaRadar constructs our take on 8 Maids a-Milking.