Dating experts from farm near Wellingborough win £10,000 for TV advert

Dating experts Muddy Matches have won a £10,000 grant from Sky Media to support their first foray into TV advertising.

The award comes after Muddy Matches, which is based in Farndish near Wellingborough, welcomed their 500,000th member onto the platform - a milestone achieved four months earlier than anticipated such has been recent demand from people seeking social interaction during lockdown.

Family owned and the original home of farmer dating, Muddy Matches have been successful with an application into Sky’s SME100 scheme, a £1 million fund to champion 100 independent businesses as restrictions were lifted.

The prize will see Muddy Matches air a 30 second advert via Sky AdSmart technology into highly relevant households throughout July, inspiring the nation’s singletons to ‘get yourself out there’ and unearth their muddy match.

The television advert, celebrating love in the countryside, has been produced by agency JMS Group in Hethersett, Norfolk who share Muddy Matches’ independent, rural roots.

The investment will see Muddy Matches access airtime spots across the full inventory of Sky channels, including National Geographic, Discovery, Quest, Sky Cinema, MTV and Sky Sports.

Andrew Mitchell, head of marketing for Muddy Matches, said “We know there was plenty of demand and interest in the Sky SME100 scheme so we are naturally thrilled that the team at Sky see the value and merit in awarding the grant to Muddy Matches.

“We see this is a timely reward for the dynamic and creative approach we have taken in connecting like-minded people looking for love during lockdown.

“Putting Muddy Matches in front of a wider audience through the power of TV, right at a time when the public have a renewed appreciation for the great outdoors and are in need of a deserved breath of fresh air, is a welcome opportunity.”

Muddy Matches has thrived during lockdown with an upward hike seen in the volume of new faces joining and interaction between members reaching new peaks.

In the 90 days since lockdown started, mud-loving singles have flocked to the website.

Sign-ups have increased 30 per cent and the number of paying members rose by 15 per cent over the same period in 2019.

The number of messages exchanged also rose 18 per cent year-on-year.

Muddy Matches have also been active, encouraging singletons to date from a distance and championing virtual date experiences and video call tasting dates via their website.

A spokesman for Sky Media said: “Sky Media wants to reward businesses that are demonstrating true resolve and ingenuity.

"Businesses of all types are adapting to the current climate but can further thrive with the extra exposure TV can deliver.”

The Sky Media SME100 scheme was open to SMEs operating for at least one year in the UK with up to 50 full time employees.

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