Hily launches anti-fake dating campaign aimed at Gen Z

Hily has rolled out “Dare to Date as You Are,” a June 5 campaign built around authenticity in online dating as AI and profile-polishing reshape how singles present themselves. The effort targets Gen Z and Millennial daters in the U.S. and leans on creator-led videos instead of AI-generated content.

Why it matters: - Hily is betting that authenticity can cut through dating-app fatigue at a time when AI makes it easier to fake profiles, personalities and even creative content. - The campaign targets Gen Z and Millennial daters in the U.S., two groups that are especially shaped by app-based dating and social pressure. - Hily's survey found 89% of young Americans say dating only works when people are honest and show their real selves. - The same survey found 62% say online dating makes them feel like they are not perfect enough to be liked. - Those pressures can push users to polish profiles, play roles and hide parts of themselves.

What happened: - Hily launched “Dare to Date as You Are” on June 5, 2026. - The dating app framed the campaign as a push against fake behavior in online dating. - Hily said the final two videos will roll out in late July. - The campaign uses three creators, each of whom produced two videos. - Hily said the work is a zero-AI campaign.

The details: - Julia Kolesnyk, Hily's head of brand and communications, said the company wanted to show that some things cannot be faked in dating. - Hily collaborated with creators from Argentina, the Philippines and Ukraine. - Loli Laboureau built the set and decorations from scratch with her art department. - Laboureau's work included a full-sized cardboard horse and edible jellies, one with an actual silicone fish inside. - Laboureau said the videos explore the stories people construct in their minds and the characters they adopt to fit in. - She said the goal is to help viewers notice the character they are playing and show up as themselves. - Shekinah Carrillo's videos focus on the dater's perspective and the inner monologue that comes with overthinking while swiping. - Carrillo said she wanted viewers to recognize awkward online dating moments as normal rather than something to hide. - Tanya Spasi Sohrani filmed in Paris using a VHS camera to create raw, analog visuals. - Sohrani made all of the looks by hand, including a mask cast from her own face. - Sohrani said the pressure to seem cooler or more impressive eventually becomes harmful and that being real matters more than perfection.

Between the lines: - Hily is using creator-led storytelling to make a brand point about authenticity instead of relying on polished, heavily produced dating marketing. - The choice to avoid AI content doubles as both a creative decision and a message about resisting artificiality. - The campaign leans into awkward, surreal imagery because dating anxiety is often emotional before it is behavioral. - Hily is also trying to turn embarrassment into relatability, which can be a stronger engagement strategy than aspirational messaging.

What's next: - Hily's remaining campaign videos are scheduled to go live in late July. - The company will continue targeting U.S. Gen Z and Millennial daters with the anti-performance message. - Hily will likely use the campaign to reinforce its broader positioning around genuine connections and self-expression.

The bottom line: - Hily is making authenticity the product message, not just the marketing angle.