If you work, live or socialise in London you’ll have no doubt read about, and if not seen for yourself, the recent tube station posters designed and created by the rather dopey online dating platform, Match.com as part of their most recent advertising campaign.

And if you keep an eye on the news, so too will you have heard about the rather awkward moment they were forced to take down all of the posters amidst back lash from London folk for their portrayal of red heads and freckles, deeming them ‘imperfections’. Members of the public spoke up about the posters calling them ‘offensive’ and even going so far to call their campaign a form of ‘bullying’ against those with red hair and freckles.

A spokesperson from Match.com rather frantically commented saying: “We believe freckles are beautiful. The intention of our ‘Love Your Imperfections’ campaign is to focus on the quirks and idiosyncrasies that people wrongly perceive to be imperfections – this can include freckles, a feature that is sometimes seen as an imperfection by people who have them. “We’re sorry if this ad has been interpreted in a different way and we apologise for any offence caused, this was not our intention.

“Our overall campaign is all about celebrating perceived physical and behavioural imperfections, from having freckles to being chubby, messy or clumsy.

“The adverts are designed to encourage everyone to be proud of their individuality, as the features that make us unique are often the ones that make us most attractive.”

Intrigued to get more feedback from real life London daters, Rob Ryall caught up with one of Dateinadash’s regular speed daters, Kat Pulman (who herself dons beautiful auburn hair and a scattering of freckles) who said that the recent adverts perpetuate stigma surrounding red hair and personal image.

‘For years I’ve been teased for having red hair and freckles, to the point now that I just smile and roll my eyes when I get called ‘ginger’ or ‘carrot top’, for example. It’s something I’ve grown up with but I’m not saying for a second that I should have had to. At the end of the day though, I know I’m having the last laugh and I really am not that deluded to believe my red hair or freckles are imperfections. If anything, my so called imperfections are what make me perfect’, she says. ‘Putting my own mind set aside, it just isn’t the case for everyone with red hair and freckles, and in truth it’s totally unacceptable for anyone to be put down and bullied about their appearance, be it in terms of hair colour, weight, height, ability or eye colour. These adverts from Match.com really don’t help to promote the idea that being a redhead or having freckles is something to be proud of, in fact they do the total opposite, regardless of the campaign’s intention and however innocent it should have been’, Kat concludes.

Reinforcing Kat’s message, the team here at Dateinadash can reassure the lovely singletons of London that this isn’t how we think either. We acknowledge that while the world of dating can be an exciting experience it can also be as equally daunting and it’s not uncommon for daters to feel self conscious and nervous about meeting new, singletons in the capital. Simply put, that’s why as London’s leading speed dating company, Dateinadash are disappointed in the way Match.com have tried to exploit these common feelings for financial gain.

As we’ve already mentioned, the idea that hair colour, body shape, skin tone and physical appearance as a whole can even be considered as an imperfection is ridiculous. Furthermore, such classifications can also do damage to a wide range of generations and their body confidence and positive self image which can have a long lasting effect across the years. What we say here at Dateinadash is to love yourself exactly as you are and embrace the world of dating as we truly believe there’s someone out there for everyone. It’s just a matter of meeting them.

With this in mind, why not pop along to one of our upcoming speed dating events in London and discover the opportunities available through Dateinadash? Just grab a ticket and we’ll see you there!