Member-only story
What We Can Learn from Match.com’s Brilliant 2020 Ad
Or, how Satan made me consider online dating
December 2020 brought murky skies and bone-biting chills in the air. I found myself forgoing my daily trail runs and hikes. Unless I was dumping trash or picking up my mail, I spent most of my time shut-in. Feeling the weight of never-ending quarantine, I’d given up on productivity. I wanted to tune out the world and binge-watch crappy television. I needed an escape. Nestled in my jammies, chips at the ready, I climbed under my blankets and turned on my TV.
The screen came to life with an image of the Devil, waiting for someone under a picturesque bridge in Central Park. I hate commercials and tend to tune them out or fast forward through them, but this ad drew me in immediately. The demon under the bridge is, in fact, Satan. And, he’s waiting for a date. The sweet opening notes of Taylor Swift’s re-recorded “Love Story” play gently in the background.
Bittersweet laughter erupts from deep within me. When the 88-second ad ends, I want more. I find the video on YouTube. I watch countless times. I share with friends and on social media. Even now, four months later, no campaign from 2020 sticks with me in quite the same way as “Satan and 2020.”
