Notes

Versions

Stoned and Single was a Meticulously Ridiculous dating experiment; using Reddit Advertising to drive attention to my dating profile. The post generated 134k impressions, 237 comments, 17 date offers, 3 podcast interviews, and 10 days of laughter at a total cost of $85.64 in advertising. 'Stoned and Single' became the name of my first Reddit Art. My favorite outcome, so far, was it being forwarded to a (now friend) I'd already been on a date with (which later prompted a podcast). Unable to target based on gender at the time, the ads were targeted at Redditors in Los Angeles who'd recently visited /r/TwoXChromosomes—a subreddit intended for women's perspectives. The ad content was simply a thirty-second iOS Screen Share of me scrolling My Hinge Profile.

This is what it looked like:

Two weeks after it hit 800 votes, the Advertising Policy (Reddit) was updated to require that "ads must clearly and accurately represent the brand, product, or service that is being promoted." 🤔 😆

Genesis

This experiment was prompted by Ali Spagnola's visit to my Conversation Studio where she remarked that "art is art if the creator calls it art." Ali's comment struck a chord and reminded me of the notion of Giving Yourself Permission shared by Emily Schmidt. A few days later, it had gestated into an idea to parody my Facebook Ads Prank and this 'Stoned and Single' was born.

Execution

To Split Test, I created two advertisements—one conveyed Authentic Vulnerability while the other broke the Fourth Wall and addressed the advertising medium itself. The comments on 'Stoned and Single' had greater resonance (and were cheaper) so the TIL version was paused.

Stoned and Single // Chronological Comments
Stoned and Single // Private Messages
Stoned and Single // Cost Benefit Analysis

Jumps

Reddit for Romance; a tutorial for using Reddit ads to find true love
Burritos and Booze; an example of the authenticity facilitated by Reddit's platform
"Would you go on a date this guy?"; a prior date was referred to my Reddit ad

Contexts

️#stoned-and-single (this memo is the Root Memo)
️#my-reddit-art (See: Reddit Art)
️#meticulously-ridiculous (See: Meticulously Ridiculous)