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New ads to show Metro riders the meaning of 'DTF'

Metro riders said that they pitied parents who might have to explain the ad to kids.
Credit: Thacker, Erin

WASHINGTON -- Metro riders are asking themselves the meaning of "DTF."

The acronym is colorfully emblazoned across a new series of advertisements by dating site OkCupid. The ads started showing up in Metro trains and stations July 16, a Metro spokesperson said.

"DTFire up the kiln" reads one ad at Van Ness Metro, showing a man and woman surrounded by pottery.

Facing a crowded online dating market, OkCupid said it hopes to shift people's meaning of "DTF," typically short "down to f---."

"Our DTF campaign reminds daters of what they deserve: better," said a company blog post earlier this year. "So we’re on a mission to flip the script on DTF."

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The ad campaign was designed by Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari, the creators of Toilet Paper Magazine. OkCupid said the work is "colorful, provocative, inclusive, and beautiful."

But Metro riders told WUSA9 that they pitied parents who might have to explain the ad to kids.

"To me it's careless," said Honeymoon Aljabri at Van Ness Metro. "It doesn't send a beautiful message."

The ads meet Metro's 14-point advertising guidelines. WMATA rejected some versions of the ad that focused on politics. The Chicago Transit Authority, which runs the "L" trains, rejected the campaign.

A Metro spokesperson said the ads will run through August 26 in stations and through September 23 on trains, Metro said.

“OkCupid has a huge presence in D.C. and we’ve found that our users find the ad imagery to be really relatable, which is why we think it tends to strike a chord and is serving to spark larger conversations," said OkCupid’s CMO Melissa Hobley about the ‘DTF’ ad campaign and it’s D.C. presence.

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