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 Kline, a 28-year-old data manager, decided to take a unique approach to find a date by renting a billboard in his neighborhood near 34th and Wharton streets. On the billboard, he displayed details about his quest for companionship.
Hes a good cook, has normal hobbies, and owns a cat, which is pictured on the billboard.
“The billboard was a 12-foot by 12-foot square featuring my image with a message that read, ‘Dave is single. Want to go on a date with Dave? Message him here,” explained Kline. He initially expected only a few responses via the Instagram account @Date_Dave_Philly; however, the billboard’s impact surpassed his expectations and quickly went viral.
“I was getting messages like, ‘Hey, youve reached France, Germany, Brazil, Africa, Canadaeverywhere!”
Since putting up the billboard, Kline has been flooded with thousands of direct messages. Some of these messages offer words of support and admiration for his bold approach, while others express interest in going on a date with him.
He spent over $1,000 to put up the billboard for one month, which turned into two due to the billboards lackluster location.
While Dave is still single, he says he hasnt 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 thats 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.
