Kraft Foods? Oscar Mayer brand is taking a unique approach to mobile marketing by rolling out a dating application for bacon lovers, mimicking the mutual-matching system of mobile apps such as Tinder to help consumers forge real-life connections.

Oscar Mayer is attempting to help Americans locate their bacon soulmates via the Sizzl application, designed for use by mobile enthusiasts who take bacon as seriously as they consider their love lives. While the brand may not be able to compete with the likes of established dating apps such as Tinder, Oscar Mayer will likely be able to snatch some buzz and fan laughs from this unique marketing strategy.

?We believe that a love of delicious Oscar Mayer bacon can bring people together,? said Eric Dahmer, marketing director at Oscar Mayer, Madison, WI. ?We might not be matchmakers by trade, but as true bacon experts, we just wanted to create a way for bacon lovers across the country to connect with each other and share their passion for bacon.

?Whether people are looking for dates or simply friends to share in a love for food, we?re all about feeding the good side of life and creating connections among our fans.?

Bridging connections
Oscar Mayer fans can now find likeminded individuals who also prefer their bacon cut and flexible or center-cut and crisply cooked, thanks to the Sizzl app. As online and mobile dating continues to gain traction among a significant portion of the population, the sector does offer potentially lucrative opportunities for brand advertising.

Users with an iPhone 5 or above will be able to specify their bacon preferences and upload personal photos onto their customizable profiles. Oscar Mayer claims to recognize that bacon can be a contentious subject for some people, and wants to bridge connections with consumers who have similar likes and dislikes.

?It is very important for brands to find new and interesting ways to engage their audience through and with mobile, especially in a connected age,? said Michael Becker, co-founder and managing partner at mCordis, San Francisco. ?They should look to provide experiences that generate instant gratification, improved services and serendipity (surprise and delight), for instance. 

?A program like Sizzl creates the opportunity for the brand to provide these benefits as well as to create community and generate consumer insight. Since the app is leveraging Facebook as the basis of the community, there is much the brand can learn as people opt-in and participate.?

Individuals can upload their photo and enable location settings on their smartphone to allow their location to appear within the app. Then, they may input their bacon preferences, including indicating whether they enjoy pork or turkey, or crispy or chewy meat.

Sizzl follows a Tinder-like format of matching users

Sizzl will then offer potential matches based on common answers, who the initial user may rate by clicking an ?X? or a bacon-themed heart. If he or she chooses the heart and the potential date has also liked him or her, a match will be made.

This promptly opens up a chat function within the app, where users can exchange messages, continue to get to know each other and make plans to meet up.

This also serves as an optimal way for Oscar Mayer to offer a relevant service to mobile users while still maintaining a level of branded presence. Bacon enthusiasts who end up using the app and who may not have tried Oscar Mayer?s products before may find themselves picking them up during their next grocery shopping trip.

?This is definitely a gimmick, but it brought a smile to my face,? said Scott Michaels, executive vice president of Atimi, Vancouver, Canada. ?It plays on the ?Tinder of Anything? by making this the Tinder of bacon lovers.

?It?s obviously not going to be a true platform for dating. However, it?s done well, has great tongue-in-cheek messaging, and the method for rating people is a really fun end user experience.?

Consumers may find out more information by visiting the dedicated microsite for Sizzl, www.FindBaconLove.com.

Dating app opportunities
Oscar Mayer is not the only food and beverage marketer leveraging dating apps for marketing opportunities.

This past April, Anheuser-Busch?s Bud Light brand tapped native video in Tinder?s mobile dating application to promote the return of its Whatever, USA contest in which users got to show how ready they were to bring an up-for-anything attitude to a party town created somewhere in the United States (see story).

However, Oscar Mayer may have a leg up on its competitors by rolling it out its own branded application, thereby demonstrating real interest in its consumers? lives. Although competing with the likes of Tinder and Hinge may be difficult, the Sizzl app will likely hit the right spot for Oscar Mayer?s target demographic.

?Leveraging a mobile strategy has become increasingly important to us, as it allows us to reach our consumers where we know they already are with exciting innovations they aren?t expecting,? Oscar Mayer?s Mr. Dahmer said. 

Final Take
Alex Samuely, editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York