Philadelphia, Pa — Sick of swiping on dating apps, one Philadelphia man is putting himself out there in a very public way.
In August 2024, Dave Cline, a 28-year-old data manager, decided to take a unique approach to finding a date. He rented a billboard in his neighborhood near 34th and Wharton streets and used it as a platform to advertise his quest for companionship.
He’s a good cook, has normal hobbies, and owns a cat, which is pictured on the billboard.
Describing the billboard as a simple 12-foot by 12-foot square featuring just his image and the message ‘Dave is single. Want to go on a date with Dave? Message him here,’ Kline initially anticipated only a modest response via the Instagram account @Date_Dave_Philly. To his surprise, the campaign quickly gained widespread attention, going viral.
“I was getting messages like, ‘Hey, you’ve reached France, Germany, Brazil, Africa, Canada – everywhere!” he said.
Since putting up the billboard, Dave has been inundated with thousands of direct messages. Some offer words of support and commend him for his bold initiative, while others express interest in going out on a date with him, turning a simple idea into a phenomenon.
He spent over $1,000 to put up the billboard for one month, which turned into two due to the billboard’s lackluster location.
While Dave is still single, he says he hasn’t given up hope and is still working on finding love.
His main takeaway from this experience? Just be yourself.
“I just kind of decided to stay true to myself, and that’s what people really latched on to,” he says. “It was a good confidence boost.”
Mostly, he just liked the idea of being on a billboard and thought it would be funny. He does say the date requests rolling in have turned out to be a big bonus.
