As Match celebrates its 20th anniversary on Tuesday, with more than 125 million people joining the site over the years, one thing is clear: Online dating no longer has a stigma.
But for old times' sake, let's recall a quote from a Match executive in a 2007 press release about its then-new advertising campaign, which suggests "It Starts With a Look":
"Online dating has evolved to become a very natural way to meet potential mates -- everyone knows someone who met on Match.com," the executive said.
The tip-toeing nature of this comment may seem hard to believe today, given how common it is to meet a significant other on the Internet, but Match first had to convince us that it wasn't as terrifying as it seemed.
Even five years after its launch, most Americans had little exposure to online dating, according to the Pew Research Center. Now, about 50% of the population knows someone who has met a partner online and Match credits itself for starting more than 10 million relationships in the U.S. alone.
Today is our 20th birthday! Join the celebration by sharing a Match memory or success story using #MatchTurns20!! pic.twitter.com/Jyd08o3Jp9— Match (@Match) April 21, 2015
Let's take a look at how its messaging and commercials have evolved in recent years.
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