One world. One gay social app.
Campaign Overview
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Client: Blued
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Industry: GBTQ+ Dating App
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Campaign Focus: Brand Awareness, App Downloads, User Engagement
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Platforms: Instagram (In-Feed + Stories), Facebook
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Content Type: Influencer-Driven, Live-Style Content
In a year when face-to-face connection felt nearly impossible, Blued and The Shelf teamed up to deliver a campaign that redefined what dating could look like for the GBTQ+ community. The #BluedBachelorLIVE campaign launched in the thick of the pandemic and brought digital dating to life with a fresh, real-time twist: six eligible influencers competing for the heart of one charming bachelor—Murray—through livestreamed and story-based date experiences.
The result? A standout brand campaign that not only sparked joy and visibility but delivered click-through rates and engagement numbers that far exceeded industry norms.
Creative Concept
A digital love story you could root for. In real time.
The creative concept centered around an interactive, influencer-driven dating experience—think The Bachelor, but for the GBTQ+ community and 100% virtual. Over five weeks, audiences followed along as six GBTQ+ influencers virtually dated Blued’s eligible bachelor, Murray, documenting their romantic journeys through Instagram Stories and posts.
This approach transformed the Blued app from a passive download to a narrative device—each feature (live chat, location tools, matching filters) was brought to life through real human connection. The stories were playful, sometimes flirty, occasionally heartfelt—but always rooted in real people using the app to seek genuine relationships.
In an environment where dating felt stagnant and sterile, Blued injected fun, movement, and hope into the digital dating experience—and turned their app into the leading man of the campaign.
Goals & Target Audience
The primary campaign goals were to generate brand awareness for the Blued app, drive app downloads, and increase user engagement within the GBTQ community. The strategy focused on creating compelling, relatable content that would inspire potential users to explore the app’s capabilities.
The #BluedBachelorLIVE campaign had three clear goals:
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Boost brand awareness within the GBTQ+ dating space
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Drive app downloads and clicks to the Blued landing page
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Spark engagement and community resonance through authentic influencer content
Audience Demographics
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Primary Gender: Male (78.82%)
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Top Age Ranges:
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20–24: 31.80%
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25–29: 23.72%
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35–39: 18.32%
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Cultural Interests: LGBTQ+ platforms, Pride, dating and relationship content
Strategy & Creator Activation
The campaign leveraged seven diverse GBTQ influencers across different locations, including Los Angeles, St. Louis, Detroit, and New York. These creators were carefully selected for their engaging personalities, social media presence, and ability to authentically represent the GBTQ dating experience.
Creators were tasked with going on live dates using the Blued app, documenting their experiences through Instagram posts and stories. The campaign centered around Murray’s journey of finding love, with influencers participating in a unique, interactive dating narrative that brought the app’s features to life.
To hit those goals, we built a high-touch, high-personality influencer strategy:
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7 GBTQ+ influencers from major metros like Los Angeles, Detroit, and NYC
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Each went on live, virtual dates using the Blued app
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Content rolled out via in-feed posts and Stories over a five-week narrative arc
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Influencer personality was a key casting criterion: we selected talent with a balance of charisma, relatability, and storytelling chops
Boosted posts (via allowlisting) amplified reach and click volume beyond each creator’s native following, turning a dating narrative into a full-fledged funnel.
Post Types
Carousels
Stories
In-Feed Posts
Performance Results and Key Metrics
The #BluedBachelorLIVE campaign emerged as a beacon of connection in the isolating landscape of 2020, transforming the challenges of pandemic dating into a creative digital storytelling experience. What began as a seemingly simple dating app campaign quickly became a lifeline for GBTQ singles seeking meaningful connections during a time of unprecedented social distancing.
Instagram became the campaign’s powerhouse, accounting for 90.70% of the overall potential reach. The platform’s live, interactive format proved perfectly suited to the campaign’s authentic approach, with Instagram Stories delivering an impressive 13.90% engagement rate—nearly 10 times the industry standard. Bruno Oliveira emerged as the campaign’s breakout star, generating a staggering 22.22% engagement rate on his stories and driving over 18,788 link clicks, proving that genuine, relatable content could cut through the digital noise.
The campaign’s strategic targeting was a master class in audience connection. By leveraging interests ranging from Gay Pride to LGBTQ+ community platforms, the team created a laser-focused approach that resonated deeply with the target audience. The allowlisting strategy proved particularly effective, with boosted posts reaching beyond the initial influencer followings and creating a ripple effect of engagement. This approach resulted in a remarkable 213.14% over-delivery on promised link clicks, transforming initial expectations into a viral sensation.
Content diversity became the campaign’s secret weapon. The seven carefully selected influencers brought unique perspectives that spoke to different segments of the GBTQ community. From Murray’s journey of finding love to the Zakar Twins’ playful approach, each creator offered a distinct narrative that kept audiences engaged. This strategy paid off dramatically, with the campaign generating 1,476,749 impressions and 265,781 total engagements—a testament to the power of authentic, diverse storytelling.
Perhaps most impressively, the campaign turned the limitations of pandemic dating into an opportunity for connection. By showcasing how digital platforms could bridge social gaps, #BluedBachelorLIVE did more than promote an app—it told a story of hope, resilience, and the enduring human desire to connect. The numbers told a powerful story: 62,627 total clicks, 8,738,840 total reach, and most crucially, a human narrative that resonated far beyond traditional marketing metrics.
📊 Performance Overview
🔗 Link Clicks + Sticker Taps
- 62,627 total clicks — 213% overdelivery on promised goal of 13,000
- Bruno Oliveira alone drove 18,788 link clicks from IG Stories
- 16,385 sticker taps from Bruno’s Stories — strong CTA engagement
🌐 Website Traffic & Paid Performance
- 5,147 additional clicks from boosted influencer posts
- Boosted reach: 85,446 and 190,218 impressions via allowlisting
- Targeting included retargeting, lookalikes, and interest-based segments focused on the LGBTQ+ community
📈 Campaign-Wide Engagement
- 313,263 total engagements (organic + paid)
- 13.90% IG Story engagement rate — nearly 10x the 1.5% industry average
- Overall campaign engagement ratio: 3.07%
📱 Platform Insights
- Instagram Stories outperformed — responsible for 39% of total engagement with only 8.6% of the reach
- Instagram in-feed posts drove 60.86% of engagement and captured 90.70% of total campaign reach
- Creator performance was key — Bruno Oliveira had the highest engagement rate (22.22%) and drove the most clicks
- Diverse casting = resonance — authentic representation across race, location, and personality types increased relatability and reach
Top Performing Creators
Murray Swanby of @murrayswanbyla
Finding the right man for this job was no small task. Blued had a specific list of traits that they wanted for their star, including someone with a follower count close to 400,000. Macro influencers are not hard to find, but it can be a challenge to lock them in because they often have their own list of requirements when it comes to working with a brand. However, our team is pretty well-versed in “macro” speak, so we were able to meet both Blued and Murray’s standards to start working together on one of the most fun campaigns we’ve ever run.
Murray was a true team player because he was genuinely interested in his contestants, and really got to know them. We especially liked his ability to navigate the livestreams through any awkward date moments or tech issues. He really made sure everyone was having fun.
A major concern when you hire influencers is that they might be lowkey joining the campaign just for a paycheck – but we take the time to vet our influencers deep enough. Meaning, we knew Murray was truly excited to jump on board.
“Honestly had such an amazing time over the last few weeks with @bluedapp for their #BluedBachelorLive series… Big thank youuu for having me 😋.. and a shout out to all the sexy ass boys that I got to meet @wobruno 🔥 @officialbradlee 🌹 @teejayhughes @zakartwins @baconlvr @realfredrosser ! Check out Blued’s social media for recaps of the series and download the @bluedapp to start meeting cute guys😜(link in my stories)🎉🎉 xoxo! #Sponsored #BluedOriginalContent #BluedLIVE”
Teejay Hughes of @teejayhughes
Teejay is a traveler and a talented photographer, but what we love most about him is his passion for infusing creativity in everything he does. Take a look at his Blued content! Teejay created a rose “wall” as the backdrop of his Bachelor-themed post, and hosted a cooking segment for his date with Murray. He was our artistic contestant who clearly showed how much fun he was having every time the camera focused on him.
Boomer Banks of @baconlvr
Boomer is a multi-talented designer and activist who threw himself into this campaign with every intention of winning Murray’s love. But even if he didn’t get a victory, he was still intent on having a blast. “I’ve got my roses and I am getting ready to crush the competition on the #BluedBachelorLIVE premiere tonight.”
Bradlee of @officialbradlee
Bradlee’s been a contestant before on American Idol and X-Factor, so his TV personality SHINED in this campaign! He’s an all-American boy and ended up being one of TWO winners Murray picked!
Bruno Oliveira of @wobruno
Bruno snagged the best metrics of the campaign with post engagement rates above 9% and Story engagement rates over 26%. His post captions were genuine and cute, admitting he was a little nervous but how he couldn’t wait to possibly find love on the Blued app.
Freddie fka Darren Young of @realfredrosser
It’s important to have influencers who stand for more than just popularity. Fred Rosser is a pioneer in the world of wrestling, being the first openly gay pro in the industry. We are thrilled to have mold breakers involved in our campaigns.
The Zakar Twins of @zakartwins
The Zakar Twins, authors of Pray The Gay Away (now an off-Broadway hit!) did fantastic with their IG Story content that hit an engagement rate of over 18%. We thought it was pretty cool to have twins as contestants, showing that Blued is all about making connections, no matter what form they come in!
The Campaign Wrap-Up
Recap
#BluedBachelorLIVE wasn’t just a campaign. It was a digital love story told during a moment when human connection felt out of reach. By leading with authenticity, prioritizing community resonance, and backing it all with a data-driven funnel strategy, we helped Blued achieve far more than downloads.
We helped them own the moment—and the heart of their audience.
🧠 Key Takeaways
- Stories convert: Instagram Stories delivered 13.9% engagement and 62K+ clicks — proving their power as a top-funnel and performance driver
- Creator-product fit is everything: Bruno’s high engagement and link clicks show the power of authentic alignment
- Representation drives connection: A diverse creator lineup helped the campaign resonate deeply within the GBTQ+ audience
- Strategic boosting multiplies impact: Allowlisting and lookalike targeting helped us exceed click goals by more than 200%
- Campaigns can connect and convert: This wasn’t just fun content — it drove measurable business outcomes in a tough year
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