I had no sex education whatsoever at school and I think that was a real shame in terms of owning yourself and your pleasure
In celebration of its new premium subscription service for women-identifying-only individuals, dating app Pure has unveiled its Pure Queen campaign – a short film empowering users to take charge of their dating online and IRL.
Long predating Hinge’s rose jail, Tinder’s janky algorithm, and Grindr dick pics, horny people everywhere had personal ads – aka self-written adverts posted in the newspaper where people would list out who they are, what type of romance they desire, and how to contact them. “Dominant Var kan jag träffa ensamstÃ¥ende kvinnor i näromrÃ¥det? whip bitch. Heavy into leather, wants to hear from all into [BDSM],” read a personal from 1981. “You male worms, write now!” Another, from 1980, stated: “Attractive couple seeks other couples and well-hung males for swinging times.” Short, honest, and oftentimes hyper-sexual, the adverts cut straight to the point – linking up anyone, anywhere who wanted to live out their fantasies IRL before declining in popularity with the rise of tech in the early 00s.
With space to select your turn-ons (including anything from BDSM to music, vanilla sex, kissing, people who have been to therapy, and feet), chats that self-destruct in 24 hours for safe messaging, and access to any city worldwide, the app has signalled a turn towards more curious, supportive dating space – sidestepping all the boring or stressful parts of dating to help you connect with like-minded people in a fun, creative way.
Over the past few years, however, dating app Pure has re-invented the old-school dating practice – providing a safe, sex-positive space to be honest about their intentions, boundaries, and fantasies via cute personal ads brought straight to your feed
Now – in celebration of its brand new, women-identifying-only premium subscription service, which creates an even safer space for women within the app, allowing them to make their own dating rules by selecting preferences like type of relationship they’re looking for or only seeing people with specific turn-ons, photos, languages, or heights; using a new Incognito mode that lets women browse unseen without read receipts or online status; and selecting Queen Style mode, which lets women pick a fun digital avatar rather than showing their own photos – the app has unveiled a new campaign film, empowering women to be the lead character in dating.
Titled “Pure Queens” and created by an all-women team, the film stars a roster of next-gen creatives and Pure users – from British-French comedian Tatty Macleod to LA-based sex and relationships expert Dr. Tara, London-based musician and model Katerina Kischuk, Dubai-based cosplay and anime content creator Shaziya Ashraf, and American digital creator Bryanna. Featured in the video game-style film as re-imagined Greek and Norse goddesses that fight off a group of villainous men, the campaign allows each woman to open up about their own experience on dating apps – listing off their strengths and reflecting on their own dating lives.
“Any mention of cancel culture or, ‘I don’t find women funny,’ BYE,” declares Macleod. “I wish we’d had a more open approach to discussing sex. ” Similarly, Dr. Tara – who uses her social platform to educate users about sex, pleasure, and wellness – explains: “I wish women could talk about sex freely in a healthy way and not be perceived negatively as a slut.”
Elsewhere in the campaign, Ashraf shares her own experiences with dating. “One stereotype I’ve always struggled with is ageism, since I’m a mother I’ve always been told how a mother should behave and look,” she said. “But I’m here to break stereotypes and do it my way.” Meanwhile, Kischuk voices, “I love myself and I don’t see anything bad about this – I like to feel sexy in my clothes and without,” and Bryanna notes: “Dating would be great if we all could just state what we want and what we don’t want.”
Together, with each talent opening up about their unique backgrounds, sexualities, relationship statuses, and dating viewpoints, the campaign proves that anyone can feel empowered to date on Pure, no matter who you are or what you’re looking for. Plus, the campaign claps back at common dating app anxieties for women, such as receiving unsolicited dick pics, ageism, slut-shaming, and gas-lighting – all fought off by the Pure Queens to represent a new wave of women setting their own dating rules for a new era of ultra-safe, creative, sexy, and honest dating IRL on Pure.
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