OKCupid enlists the artists behind ToiletPaper for new ads

View of an OKCupid billboard ad with a pink background and a woman holding another woman in her arms - they are both wearing jeans and jumpers and the held woman is holding a rose and has an extra pair of hands holding her bottom. There is also text that says 'DTFall Head Over Heels' and the sky behind is blue with clouds

Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari of ToiletPaper magazine have conceived dating app OKCupid’s latest campaign

(Image credit: press)

published 16 January 2018

DTF – a modern acronym meaning ‘down to f*ck’ – is a ubiquitous term used in contemporary dating to refer to a person who, as it states, is willing to have sex. Now, digital dating app OKCupid is attempting to reclaim DTF by presenting a host of new interpretations of the word behind the letter F, in a new range of ads.

‘It became clear that the way this came to life visually would have to be bold and provocative,’ says Melissa Hobley, CMO of OKCupid. The creative minds at advertising powerhouse Wieden + Kennedy stepped in, proposing artist Maurizio Cattelan and photographer Pierpaolo Ferrari – the duo behind visual bible ToiletPaper and who have also conceptualised ads for Kenzo, collaborated with MGSM and designed home accessories for Seletti – for the job. Hobley and her team thought their vibrant, cheeky images were the right fit.

View of an OKCupid gif with a blue background and multiple phrases starting with 'DTF' in different colours

The ads they designed range from the conventional – ‘DTFarmer’s Market’, illustrated with a woman pushing a man in a wheelbarrow full of vegetables, and ‘DTFoot The Bill’, accompanied by two feet, one holding money, the other one clutching a wallet – to the outspoken: ‘DTFight About The President’ sees a blue hand thumb wrestling a red hand in a ring, while ‘DTFilter Out The Far Right’ is accompanied by a hand throwing a gun down a toilet.

Some are outright silly, such as ‘DTFour Twenty’, illustrated with a couple sitting on a flying loveseat. There’s also an ad depicting a same-sex couple holding each other with the phrase ‘DTFall Head Over Heels’. At the bottom of each is OKCupid’s logo with the tagline ‘Dating Deserves Better’. The advertisements will run across OKCupid’s Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts, as well as on billboards and subways in New York. They will also be up in Austin and Portland.

View of an OKCupid ad with a half yellow, half blue background. On the yellow side, there is a blue hand and a red hand with each of their thumbs in a mini white and black wrestling ring. And on the blue side, there is text that says 'DTFight About The President' — *DTFight about the President.*

‘Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari are two of the most interesting, talented, provocative artists around today,’ adds Hobley. ‘They are of course known for making a statement with their art, so when we started talking about this mission of reclaiming “DTF”, they had as much passion as the OKCupid team and even more creativity. They were truly the perfect fit and we’re so excited with how they brought this mission and a conversation about dating to life.’

Will the high-art ToiletPaper ads for OKCupid result in the kind of discerning audience that Wallpaper’s foray in dating apps – Wallflower* – sought to attract? That’s the question on our minds.

View of an OKCupid ad with a half red, half blue background. On the red side, there is a hand dropping a black gun into a light blue coloured toilet. And on the blue side, there is text that says 'DTFilter Out The Far Right' — DTFilter out the far right.

View of an OKCupid ad with a half green, half yellow background. On the green side, there is a person in a blue suit, white shirt and blue tie. They are adjusting their tie and they have red nails. And on the yellow side, there is text that says 'DTFeel Fabulous' — DTFeel fabulous.

View of an OKCupid ad with a half purple, half green background. On the purple side, there is a couple dressed in mustard and purple coloured outfits. They are sitting face-to-face, embracing on a woolly green seat and their heads are completely covered by snood style pieces that are connected. And on the green side, there is text that says 'DTFuriously Make Out' — DTFuriously make out.

View of an OKCupid ad with a half blue, half pink background. On the blue side, there is a couple in a blue suit and pink dress holding hands and sitting on a green sofa that appears to be floating. And on the pink side, there is text that says 'DTFour Twenty' — DTFour twenty.

View of an OKCupid ad with a half pink, half blue background. On the pink side, there is a woman in a red suit and heels with a typewriter on her lap who is using the person underneath her as a seat. The person underneath is wearing an orange suit and is using their hands to hold up the woman in red. And on the blue side, there is text that says 'DTFinish My Novel' — DTFinish my novel.

View of an OKCupid ad with a half yellow, half red background. On the yellow side, there is a woman in a red and white checked shirt, shorts and wellies holding a wheelbarrow containing a man wearing a red shirt and jeans that has various vegetables on top of him. And on the red side, there is text that says 'DTFarmer's Market' — DTFarmer’s market.

View of an OKCupid ad with a half green, half blue background. On the green side, there is a couple lying on their backs wearing blue and pink suits and holding hands. They are also wearing eye masks that have images of the other person's eye area on them. And on the blue side, there is text that says 'DTFly The Red Eye' — DTFly the red eye.

View of an OKCupid ad with a half yellow, half blue background. On the yellow side, there are two feet with red nails. One foot is holding a hundred dollar bill and the other foot is holding a wallet between the toes. And on the blue side, there is text that says 'DTFoot The Bill' — DTFoot the bill.

View of an OKCupid ad with a half orange, half blue background. On the orange side, there is a close up of a couple's faces and they are facing each other and smiling. They are connected by dental floss that they have between their teeth. And on the blue side, there is text that says 'DTFloss Together' — DTFloss together.

View of an OKCupid ad with a half green, half orange background. On the green side, there is a brown, oval American football and two round, black and white footballs positioned to look like a male's private part. And on the orange side, there is text that says 'DTFootball Vs. Fútbol' — DTFootball vs fútbol.

View of an OKCupid ad with a half blue, half red background. On the blue side, there is a couple sitting on a dark green sofa with popcorn and a remote control. They are surrounded by multiple pizza boxes, cups and bottles. And on the red side, there is text that says 'DTFifty-Five-Hour Binge' — DTFifty-five-hour binge.

View of an OKCupid ad with a half blue, half yellow background. On the blue side, there is a couple wearing dungarees, facing each other and touching each other's faces. Both of their faces are covered in purple clay and there are purple vases around them on white plinths. And on the yellow side, there is text that says 'DTFire Up The Kiln' — DTFire up the kiln.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the OK Cupid website

Ann Binlot is a Brooklyn-based freelance writer who covers art, fashion, design, architecture, food, and travel for publications like Wallpaper*, the Wall Street Journal, and Monocle. She is also editor-at-large at Document Journal and Family Style magazines.