What it had to solve
Change Tinder's perception among Thai Gen Z, who most often quit the app for its hookup reputation, into a social app with value beyond dating.
The idea
Twist the Thai phrase for 'sex' into a new word for friendship, 'Puen Sampan' ('Friends with (Other) Benefits'), to reposition Tinder beyond dating.
How it works
The agency mined Gen Z user data and found people seeking platonic friends, such as an 'HR buddy' for job hunting or companions for games, dining, concerts and drama series. It built a campaign and launch film around 'Puen Sampan'.
What it did
LBB reports the launch film got over nine million views in less than a week, with multiple organic media mentions, and 'Puen Sampan' started trending on social media.
Background
LBB reported in January 2021 that Wunderman Thompson Thailand won the pitch to redefine Tinder in Thailand. Research showed Gen Z was the group most likely to quit the app within a week because they did not want to take part in hookup culture, yet the Gen Z users who stayed showed the highest interest in non-dating, non-sexual uses.
Digging into user data, the agency found people looking for platonic friendships: one wrote she wanted an 'HR buddy' in her job search, others sought friends to play online games, dine out, go to concerts or watch dramas together.
From that came 'Friends with (Other) Benefits', or in Thai 'Puen Sampan', which twists the word for 'sex' into a new word for 'friendship'. The aim was to make the trend a fresh reason for Gen Z to give Tinder another chance. In less than a week the launch film passed nine million views, picked up organic media mentions, and the campaign line began trending on social media.
Why it lands
Tinder's hookup reputation was driving young Thai users away within a week.
Data showed those who stayed wanted friends for shared interests.
A pun on the word for sex let the brand acknowledge the stereotype and flip it.
A short Thai coinage was easy to repeat and trend.
What you can take
Fix a reputation problem by turning the stereotype into a pun: reuse the words people already joke about to point at the product's other, truer use.
Since then
LBB's report gave the nine-million-view figure from the first week; the campaign was to continue through January 2021 with more exclusive content.
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