US television network Fox has tapped cheeky dating app Tinder in a guerrilla-style marketing campaign for its comedy series The Mindy Project, which sees fake profiles for its lead characters matched with unsuspecting fans.

Back in November, the network hinted at an episode where the show’s central character – a single doctor called Mindy Lahiri – tries out the popular and controversial dating app. To market the episode (airing January 2014), Doctor Lahiri was given her own fake Tinder dating profile, allowing her to converse and be matched with male fans – driving them to their TV sets.

Her profile reads: “Tiny doctor in a big city looking for love, friendship, or a donut so good it’s spiritual. To see more about me, tune in to The Mindy Project this Tuesday at 9.30/8.30c on Fox.”

This guerrilla-style marketing reacts to the behaviour of its target audience – young singles – by addressing them on the platforms they frequent in a manner that reflects the essence and humour of the show. 

In our November Consumer Trends report Modern Dating, we noted how Television New Zealand (TVNZ) has already tapped the dating app’s marketing potential; it recruited 500 females to pose as zombies on Tinder to promote its latest property, US TV series The Walking Dead. Check out the report to see how brands are teasing out the elements of gamification in dating apps to create playful marketing campaigns.

Similar endevours by US network HBO to market its release of the second season of its popular Girls series on social picture app SnapChat reveal the importance of building strong short-form marketing campaigns. See Six-Second Strategies for More. 

Also keep an eye out for our State of Mobile report, which looks at how brands are shaping marketing around the increase in global mobile use – publishing on Friday.