Williams will serve as a global advisor to Bumble to reinforce the company’s women-first messageGETTY IMAGES
Social networking app Bumble has partnered on a "year-long marketing campaign" with Serena Williams, which will "kick off at the Feb. 3 Super Bowl," according to Nicole Cobler of the AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. Williams will "serve as a global advisor to Bumble to reinforce the company’s women-first message." The female-focused dating app launched in '14 and has since "expanded to 'BumbleBizz' for business networking and 'BumbleBFF' for making friends." Bumble has "more than 47 million users worldwide." Bumble’s marketing campaign with Williams is the company’s "latest move to push its women-focused message" (AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN, 1/4). REUTERS' Lisa Richwine noted the campaign, titled "The Ball is in Her Court," will show Williams urging women to "make the first move in all aspects of their lives." Williams said, "Society has taught us as women to kind of sit back and not necessarily be the first one to speak up. We want to take that and flip the story." Williams helped create the campaign, which was "developed and produced entirely by women." Bumble said that the campaign will "appear across multiple platforms." Bumble declined to say if the campaign will include a TV commercial during CBS' broadcast of Super Bowl LIII. However, Williams acknowledged the Super Bowl was "a great opportunity for women's voices to be heard louder." Williams: "We want to make noise. This is the best and perfect place to make the biggest noise that we can" (REUTERS, 1/3). Bumble Founder & CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd tweeted, "This partnership has been a dream of mine since the very early days of @bumble, when my 'guerilla' marketing tactics included putting stickers on tennis balls. Welcome to the Hive, @serenawilliams. You inspire us all!" (TWITTER.com, 1/3).
