Redefining Matchmaking

Muzz, the Muslimmarriage app,does not shy awayfrom shaking upthe traditional matchmakinglandscape. From its previouscampaign, tackling outdatedrishta customs to its nationwidespeed dating sessions forsingles (which are sometimesattended by their mothers),
the UK-based app is disruptingthe way young Muslims look
for marriage.

Its latest campaign? ‘MarriageIntentions – #NiyyatSaafHai’is a satirical takedown ofmodern relationship excuses,putting the spotlight onPakistan’s commitment-phobiaproblem. The goal of ‘MarriageIntentions’ is to highlight thefrustrations single men andwomen experience whencaught in relationships withunclear marriage intentions.The campaign createsawareness around this issueand encourages people to havehonest conversations abouttheir future expectations rightfrom the start.

Launched in February 2025,the campaign showcases threeyoung women being strungalong with evasive excusesfrom their partners. From “Theistikhara didn’t turn out right”to “You are not the right caste,”the script feels painfully familiarto anyone caught in a similarsituation. The campaign isbacked by a robust insight:too many Pakistani women(and men) enter relationshipsassuming marriage is the endgoal, only to realise months,and sometimes years, later thattheir partner had no intentions tomove in that direction.

“The objective is to highlighthow often people, especiallywomen, are led on becauseintentions are not clear from thestart,” says Nayab Nazir, Muzz’sMarketing Lead in Pakistan. “Wewanted to bring this issue to theforefront in a way that was bothrelatable and entertaining – whilealso educating people about theimportance of asking the rightquestions early on.”

Muzz mainly targets young,single Muslims looking formarriage. This includesindividuals in their early 20s tolate 30s, as well as divorced orwidowed people looking for asecond marriage. Recognisingthe role of families in the rishtaprocess, Muzz extends itsoutreach to parents, particularlymothers, who influencematchmaking decisions.

The concept for ‘MarriageIntentions’ was conceptualisedand developed during abrainstorming session when,after exploring multiple ideas,Muzz’s marketing team settledon the theme of commitmentphobia and relationshipexcuses. To refine the ideafurther, a survey was conducted that gathered insights from 500women about their experiencesof misleading relationships.The overwhelming responseconfirmed that this was anissue that needed to beaddressed. “The stories wereceived were shocking,”Nazir says. “Women sharedhow they had invested yearsinto relationships where theother person kept delayingmarriage with vague promises.Some even faced financial andemotional manipulation.”

While both men and womenface commitment-relateddeception, this campaignfocuses exclusively on femaleexperiences. Nazir says thedecision wasn’t arbitrary.

“We did include men’sperspectives in our broadersocial media rollout,” she says,referencing two real-life maletestimonials shared on Muzz’splatforms. “But when we lookedat the data, we realised thatwomen were disproportionatelyaffected and were also lesslikely to challenge thesesituations head-on.” Thecampaign serves the dualpurpose of highlighting relatable frustrations andempowering women to takecontrol of their relationships.

Despite the seriousness ofthe issue, the ad leans intohumour. The protagonists reactwith exaggerated disbelief asexcuses for not marrying arethrown their way, ending in acrying sequence – a shot thattook multiple retakes to perfect.“We were obsessed withgetting the ‘cry’ just right,” Nazirrecalls with a laugh. “My teamand I had a very specific soundin our heads; one we hadheard from friends who hadgone through these situations.We wanted the audience to feelthe absurdity of it.”

Visual Prophecy was theproduction house behind theDVC (which was directed byMuhammad Ali and basedon the concept by Muzz’smarketing team) and it strikes abalance between comedy and authenticity. Despite carefulplanning, the team faced a fewchallenges during execution.Perfecting the ‘crying sequence’in the DVC was one; anotherwas maintaining a balancebetween humour and a seriousmessage – a tricky task assatire in advertising can easilyveer into insensitivity.

Originally launched as a DVC,the ad has been watched onYouTube, Facebook, Instagramand TikTok. The campaign is nowto be rolled out in cinemas anddiscussions are underway for itto be aired on TV. In addition tothe DVC, Muzz has extendedthe campaign through socialmedia engagements, influencercollaborations and matchmakingevents. Nazir notes that userengagement skyrocketedin the first week of release,with over 600 women sharingtheir personal experiences inresponse to the campaign. “Thiswas our biggest KPI,” she says.“Beyond views and clicks, wewanted to see how many womenfelt compelled to come forwardand share their stories.”

Muzz’s marketing doesn’t stopat ads, and they have designedtheir ‘singles events’ to encouragemeaningful conversations throughstructured activities such asicebreaker questions and speeddating rounds. Participantsengage in guided discussionsusing pre-set questions designedto spark conversations aboutvalues, goals and marriageexpectations. The events alsoincorporate a speed-dating formatwhere individuals rotate partnerswithin timed intervals, ensuringthey meet multiple matches in asingle session.

“These aren’t Western-stylespeed dating events,” Nazirclarifies. “We recognise therole of families in the process,which is why we have introducedmoms and singles events, wheremothers and singles can meetand interact in a safe space.”She adds, “Our events sell outevery time, and we have hadmultiple success stories fromcouples who met there.”

Muzz aim to expand theirevents across Pakistan,with a particular focus onsmaller cities where accessto matchmaking solutionsis limited, and the plan is tostrengthen collaborationswith local influencers andcontent creators. Muzz arealso exploring other digitaland offline marketing strategiesto help normalise app-basedmatchmaking within Pakistan’scultural framework. To improvethe user experience, they are alsoworking on introducing new appfeatures to ensure a safer, moreefficient matchmaking process.

With a growing presenceand bold marketing, Muzzare reshaping how Pakistanisapproach matchmaking. Ina country where arrangedmarriages are still the norm,introducing a technology-drivenmatchmaking model comeswith its share of scepticism,and Nazir acknowledges thatsome conservative circlesinitially viewed Muzz as athreat to traditional rishtapractices. “People assumed wewere removing families fromthe equation,” she says. “Butthat’s not the case. In fact, ourChaperone feature, which allowsparents to monitor conversations,is one of our most popular tools.”

Muzz’s cultural adaptationis not unique to Pakistan.Operating in over 190 countries,the app has adapted its featuresto different Muslim communities – and in terms of Pakistan, Nazirsays what was required was ablending of the progressive withthe traditional.

Nazir also hints at biggerthings on the horizon. “Wewant to normalise the idea thatpeople meet on Muzz. In 2024,we had thousands of Pakistanicouples reach out to tell us thatthey had found their match onthe app, and we are going tobuild on that.”

If the success of ‘MarriageIntentions’ is anything to go by,Muzz are not just shaking upmatchmaking; they are redefininghow it is done.