BLK launches #BLKMenSmile campaign for World Smile Day

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BLK, the leading dating and social app for Black singles, announces the launch of its new campaign, #BLKMenSmile, aimed at encouraging Black men to embrace their joy and express their full selves in dating profile pictures.

About #BLKMenSmile

#BLKMenSmile addresses a key finding: over 70% of Black men don’t smile in their profile photos, often due to societal standards, perceptions of masculinity, and cultural pressures that can stifle the authentic expression of joy.

“The #BLKMenSmile campaign is about challenging the norms that hold Black men back from expressing their joy. We want to show that a smile isn’t just an act of positivity — it’s a powerful expression of self-love, confidence, and authenticity,” said Jonathan Kirkland, Head of Brand & Marketing at BLK.

Uplifting Black men’s smiles

#BLKMenSmile is centered around an inspiring campaign video and creative images that uplift Black men’s smiles in all their forms.

The campaign’s centerpiece is a brand video featuring the smiles of over 50 Black men of all ages and backgrounds. The video highlights diverse smiles, merging seamlessly from one face to another. It begins with the statistic about how few Black men smile in their dating profile pictures, and then progresses to uplifting quotes about Black joy, smiles, and self-expression.

The video closes with a call to action for Black men to update their BLK profile photos with pictures of them smiling, inviting them to join the movement and show their joy to the world.

Partnership with Express Yourself Black Man

BLK is partnering with Express Yourself Black Man, a digital platform committed to showcasing positive Black male expression, mental health, and cultural empowerment.

These partnerships will play a pivotal role in amplifying the reach of #BLKMenSmile by sharing the campaign’s content, encouraging their communities to participate, and sparking broader conversations around Black men’s joy, self-love, and expression.

As part of the initiative, BLK is launching a call to action pledge encouraging all Black men to change their social and dating app profile pictures to images of them smiling, embracing the beauty and power of their authentic joy. BLK encourages its community to use the hashtag #BLKMenSmile across social media and join a growing network of Black men who are breaking down stereotypes, embracing their joy, and showing the world their beautiful smiles.

For more information, please visit: https://www.blk-app.com/