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Tinder users can find love, become organ donors

Posted at 4:23 PM, Dec 14, 2015
and last updated 2015-12-14 17:06:37-05

SAN FRANCISCO — There are many qualities that make you attractive to potential romantic partners. Good hair, a sense of humor, and a willingness to donate vital organs in the event of an untimely death.

Dating app Tinder is launching an organ donation awareness campaign in the UK. The promotion, called “The Wait,” is a partnership with the UK’s National Health Service’s Blood and Transplant division.

While searching for romantic partners, users will see special profiles for UK celebrities on the app. Profiles for reality star Jamie Laing, actress Gemma Oaten, and Olympic taekwondo gold medalist Jade Jones will have special heart logos on them.

When users swipe right on the profiles, a message will appear with sobering information about organ donation. The Tinder user, who by now has (hopefully) figured out they won’t really get a date with the famous person, will be prompted to sign up as an organ donor.

“If only it was that easy for those in need of a life-saving organ to find a match,” reads the message.

According to the NHS, there are nearly 7,000 people on the organ transplant wait list and not enough donors. Over the past 10 years, more than 6,000 people have died because they could not find an organ in time. Currently, there are 21.8 million people signed up in the UK as organ donors.

“Joining the register takes only a couple of minutes — about the same amount of time as a few swipes on Tinder,” said NHS’s Sally Johnson in a statement.

The campaign will only be visible to people between 18 and 35-years-old who use the app in the UK.

Tinder is dabbling with fake profiles for marketing campaigns. Earlier this year, sci-fi movie Ex-Machina worked with the dating company to create a fake profile for its star robot.