Tinder Canada is taking inspiration from the new album by Toronto indie band The Beaches to promote its newest in-app feature.

Developed by Chimera Collective and freelance PR specialist Jaime Eisen—who won the Tinder Canada assignment in September—the campaign is introducing Tinder’s new Matchmaker feature, which enables a user’s friends and family to access the app and recommend dater profiles.

The campaign includes content from Canadian influencers representing both the user and matchmaker, accompanied by in-app native display cards, press outreach, and a contest give-away. 

Inspired by the “friend test,” in which pals offer an unbiased perspective on their friend’s romantic interest(s), the new feature allows users to share a unique link with up to 15 friends in a 24 hour period—during which they can recommend an unlimited number of profiles. They cannot secure matches or send messages on the user’s behalf, however.

“For years, singles have asked their friends to help find their next match on Tinder, and now we’re making that so easy,” said Tinder’s CMO Melissa Hobley in a press release. “Tinder Matchmaker brings your circle of trust into your dating journey and helps you see the possibilities you might be overlooking from the perspective of those closest to you.”

It is one of the first major campaigns the brand has executed in Canada, said Tinder’s VP of communications, Philip Price Fry. “Canada is a key and crucial market for Tinder, and we’re excited to expand marketing efforts as we head into 2024. While this new feature launched on a global scale, working with The Beaches and additional creators in the Canadian market helped to localize the campaign.”

The campaign directly riffs on the title of The Beaches’ new album Blame My Ex, with messaging stating that the band wants to help Tinder users “find your next,” with Matchmaker’s help. “The Beaches say your friends know you best,” says one ad (the band says they plan to use the feature).

The primary theme of Blame My Ex is the idea of self-discovery through the lens of romantic pursuits and heartbreaks. The group told the CBC that the album was like “going to therapy with your best friends.”

“As bandmates and best friends, we love to talk about and get involved in each other’s dating lives,” said the band’s lead guitarist, Kylie Miller, in a press release. “With Matchmaker, we can have the people who know us best swipe and vet potential matches for us, which makes dating more exciting, especially when we’re on the road.”

Tinder hopes the campaign will encourage users to lean on their friends and family for dating support, whether simply to get a second opinion, or to allow someone trusted to act as a personal matchmaker, said Fry. “The band represents a group of strong, empowered women who lean on each other for support while at the same, have a lot of fun while doing it.”

Chimera’s founder and CEO Courtney Khimji said that the agency saw an ideal opportunity to leverage a pop-culture moment in Canada that highlights women and queer-powered experiences.

“Tinder is a place to explore connections without the pressure of labels or timelines, and The Beaches are a perfect embodiment of the honesty, authenticity and inclusivity that the brand represents,” she said.