‘No Ordinary Love’: New Hinge Campaign Explores Emotional Plot Twists of Early Dating

Today, Hinge launches the second installment of No Ordinary Love, a campaign celebrating the unexpected twists of real love stories. Contemporary writers Upasna Barath, Hunter Harris, William Rayfet Hunter, Tomasz Jedrowski, and Jen Winston paired with five Hinge couples to retell key moments of their love story – alternating between the perspectives of both partners. Inspired by first-person narration in books and movies, No Ordinary Love offers an intimate look into the mindset of early dating and follows each person’s moments of excitement and self-doubt. Developed in collaboration with Dazed Studio, the anthology highlights the thoughts and feelings each couple navigated at the beginning of their relationship, encouraging daters to approach romantic connections with an open mind.

Hinge continuously explores new ways of storytelling that resonate with Gen Z daters. On May 12, No Ordinary Love will launch as a five-part weekly series on Substack at no-ordinary-love.co. Contemporary author Roxane Gay will return to introduce No Ordinary Love in the Substack foreword, and Hinge is also partnering with creators on Substack to spark conversations and bring their audiences into the heart of the stories.

• “Baggage Claim” - Jen Winston (she/they) contrasts the fluster and joy of a freewheeling first date with the complex realities of co-existing with an ex.
• “There You Are” - William Rayfet Hunter (he/they) captures a near-missed connection turned long-distance romance, where clear communication means everything.
• “Worth It” - Hunter Harris (she/her) explores the tension of falling in love with someone who doesn’t initially check every box.
• “Too Good to Let Go” - Tomasz Jedrowski (he/him) juxtaposes perception versus reality when it comes to reading into the first messages – or lack thereof.
• “Not Over Yet” - Upasna Barath (she/they) unpacks a stop-start relationship that picks up again months later after one partner gets the space they need.

“Substack has become a place for meaningful discussions about dating and relationships, so bringing No Ordinary Love to the platform felt like a natural fit. We want to complement Substack’s community of writers and readers with honest, authentic perspectives on love from exciting literary voices,” said Jackie Jantos, President and Chief Marketing Officer at Hinge. “At Hinge, we’re intentional in sharing useful, inspiring stories that meet daters in the spaces they already are. By flipping between both partners’ perspectives, these real love stories highlight the misreads, overthinking, and unspoken harmony of early dating.”

The anthology will also be printed as a limited-edition hardcover book, produced by Dazed’s in-house creative and community agency, Dazed Studio. Starting June 2025, the books will be distributed to select in-person book clubs in New York and London, bringing people together to read and connect over the stories.

“At Dazed Studio, we’re always interested in projects that challenge dominant narratives and create space for honest, human storytelling. With this next iteration of No Ordinary Love, we had the opportunity to pull from our extended creative community to shape a campaign that feels deeply cultural, personal, and refreshingly real. It offers a slower, more reflective take on modern dating; one that resonates with how people are truly feeling right now.” added Jamie Knowles, Managing Director, Dazed Studio.

The campaign will continue to come to life this summer through collaborations with BookTok creators and Substack writers as well as through out-of-home advertising campaigns in New York City and London.

No Ordinary Love is an extension of Hinge’s Designed To Be Deleted™ platform. By sharing the real, imperfect, and unexpected love stories that happen on the app, Hinge encourages daters as they navigate their own moments of excitement and uncertainty and embrace new, meaningful connections.

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