LONDON — ImLive.com has launched an "anti-dating" promotional campaign to encourage users to stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic. The platform has partnered with Bella Thorne, Riley Reid and others to spread the word and will give away up to $50 million in credits to users who commit to abstaining from dating while self-quarantine orders are in place.
New members can use the credits to purchase private cam sessions with ImLive hosts, a group of whom have filmed a video to trumpet the campaign.
The campaign is using the social media hashtag #stayhomedontdate. Thorne, Reid and other celebs, among them rappers Justina Valentine and Almighty Jay, have committed to publicizing ImLive's efforts.
Almighty Jay was recently dragged in the media for ignoring social distancing guidelines and now supports the cause.
"I got involved with the campaign because I realized that a lot of young folks aren’t taking this pandemic seriously," he said. "I saw how it was affecting my community the hardest, so when I was presented the opportunity to work with ImLive to encourage people to stay at home, it made sense. We all have to take this seriously. [It's] not worth the risk to date right now."
Camgirl Indi Rossi is fronting a Change.org petition that calls on the public to stay home and instead document their online parties with the hashtag #ImLiveWithFriends to post to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and then challenge their social circles to do likewise.
Additionally, ImLive has pledged up to $250,000 in donations to the World Health Organization to fund efforts to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.
"It’s been a long time in quarantine and we’re all feeling disconnected from normal life. We know it’s tempting to go out and meet people, especially when you’re feeling lonely," said Adrian Stoneman, VP of ImLive. "And according to a survey we conducted, there are still a lot of people who are physically dating. Now, more than ever, it’s time to stay home and not date. Through our collective efforts, we know physical distancing works to flatten the curve. We at ImLive believe that our platform is best suited to assist people with their loneliness and horniness while in quarantine."
Polling conducted by ImLive found that many Americans have continued, despite the pandemic, to use dating sites, physically meet in person and become intimate with someone they don't live with.
To further encourage users to stay home, ImLive will host parties on its platform through Sunday with its hosts dressed as angels and chatting about the campaign.
Visit ImLive online to redeem free credits and follow the platform on Twitter for the latest updates.
Find Rossi's Change.org petition here; view the ImLive hosts' video here.
