What it had to solve
Bumble wanted to own compatibility and shared interests; Gymshark wanted to grow its community story. Their audiences — Gen Z and millennial fitness enthusiasts — overlap.
How it works
'For Dates That Workout' ran UK-wide from March 29, 2023, with out-of-home billboards revealed from April 3, alongside new Bumble interest badges — weightlifting, HIIT and bodybuilding — based on Gymshark's customer preferences.
What it did
No campaign results given. Bumble noted its sports interest badges were already the most popular globally — skiing to Pilates — which the partnership leaned into.
Background
Dating app Bumble and fitness fashion brand Gymshark teamed up on 'For Dates That Workout', a UK campaign live from March 29, 2023, with the out-of-home billboards revealed from April 3. The campaign highlights the importance of compatibility when dating and how integral shared interests are to relationships. According to research from the brands, over one in five (22%) Gen Z and millennials have exercised or attended a fitness class on a first date.
The partnership also shipped as product: new interest badges — weightlifting, HIIT and bodybuilding — became available to add to Bumble profiles, based on Gymshark's customer preferences. Naomi Walkland, Bumble's vice-president in Europe, said the community was already showcasing the behavior — sports were Bumble's most popular interest badges globally, from skiing to Pilates — and that incorporating a shared passion into a first date "can be an easy way to break the ice."
Gymshark chief brand officer Noel Mack framed it through community: "Community is, and will continue to be, the most important part of the Gymshark story... Our purpose is to 'Unite the Conditioning Community' — who better to collaborate with than Bumble to bring people together?" He called Bumble's female-first approach refreshing and something Gymshark aspires to be more like in its Gymshark Women story.
Why it lands
The brands' shared research put a number on the overlap: 22% of Gen Z and millennials had exercised on a first date.
Bumble's sports badges were already its most popular globally, making fitness the natural bridge between the two audiences.
The partnership shipped as product — real profile badges — not just advertising, so it outlived the billboards.
Gymshark's stated purpose, 'Unite the Conditioning Community', made a dating app a credible partner for bringing like-minded people together.
What you can take
The best co-branding is where the data agrees: a shared customer insight (fitness as first date) turns two logos into one argument — and gives the partnership a product form, not just media.
Since then
The campaign was scheduled to run UK-wide from March 29, 2023, with the billboards revealed from April 3. No results were reported.
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