The results of this Tinder experiment may put you off smoking

Do you think smoking makes you attractive to the opposite sex? Do you imagine that you look like Anna Karina, all sultry eyed and sexy whilst holding a cigarette? Research by Action on Smoking and Health (Ash) may prove that others see you as more Dot Cotton than Anna Karina, according results obtained using dating app Tinder.

The lobbying group Ash created two profiles for the same person on Tinder, one as a smoker and the other as a non-smoker. The non-smoking profile got twice as many matches.  The US-based campaign aims to reach young adults in a different way because Ash believes they are rarely affected by ads about the health implications of smoking.

This bit of research is interesting, because its got us thinking about ways that brands can use Tinder as a platform to digitally advertise, or conduct research digitally. Tinder has claimed that it will not be introducing adverts, but as The Mindy Project has proven, there are ways around this by creating profiles. To reach people on Tinder, you’re going to have to get creative.