Date Mark: Single man, 30, takes out billboard advert in bid to find love

The billboard can be found on Fairfield Street in the centre of Manchester
Mark Rolfe

A single man has become so frustrated by dating apps that he’s devised a bold new approach to finding a girlfriend.

Mark Rofe, 30, has spent £425 on erecting a billboard in the centre of Manchester in a bid to attract attention and, hopefully, a date.

The sign features a photo of Mark posing on his side, with a message written in Comic Sans font reading: “Single? Date Mark, this could be the sign you’ve been waiting for.”

The ad is followed by the website address “DatingMark.co.uk” - a dedicated website through which potential suitors can apply to win his heart.

Mr Rolfe was fed up with dating apps so decided to make his profile stand out (Mark Rolfe)

In a profile on the site, Mr Rofe, from Sheffield, writes: “I’m Mark, an extremely handsome and modest 30 year old living in Sheffield. I work in marketing, and if you’re reading this, then I must be pretty ok at it.

“You’re probably here because you’re interested in dating me (thank you, I’m flattered), or you’re just wondering wtf this website is about.

“I bought a billboard in Manchester and made this website because I’m single, all my friends are getting married, and I’m struggling to get a date.

“If you think you could be interested in going on a date, you know where to apply (it’s here).”

The website includes stats on Mr Rolfe's height, shoe size, and even how many girls he’s kissed
Mark Rolfe

Mr Rofe told the Standard how the elaborate seduction tactic had come about.

“Like all great ideas, it started in the pub," he said.

“I was with a friend and we were sharing our struggles with dating apps. I was thinking about how I could stand out and joked, ‘I need to get my face on a billboard.’ And then I did.”

According to advertising site Airoutdoor, the road where his billboard is located has a weekly traffic count of 462,000, and benefits from “high dwell times due to the constant flow of traffic”.

It has so far proved successful, with Mr Rofe receiving a stream of more than 110 applications since it was put up on Wednesday.

“The only issue is that around half are from men,” he said. “I probably should’ve explained that I’m straight but still, it’s a nice boost.”

The billboard will be up for two weeks, in which time Mr Rofe hopes to have met the woman of his dreams.

He said: “£425 may seem like a lot of money, but it’s not if it helps you find the love of your life.”

'I want to thank every one of you for visiting this website, but especially you Maya Jama,' he says on the website
Mark Rolfe

The 30-year-old described his perfect match as someone “fun, intelligent and with a sense of humour, who doesn't take themselves too seriously.”

He hopes to roll out his advertising campaign beyond Manchester, so has set up a Crowdfunding site to cover the costs of further billboards across the UK.

If he isn’t able to hit his aim of £1,600 in donations, or if he exceeds the target, the money pledged will go towards Cancer Research UK. His current total sum stands at £67.

He explained that his friends have “mixed opinions” on the whole endeavour.

“Some have called it ‘brilliant' and 'hilarious’, others ‘weird', 'desperate' or at the very least 'brave',” he said.

He hasn’t yet had a chance to sift through all his applications, but he hopes to set up some dates - and break some hearts - in time for Valentine’s Day.

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