Ugly Truth: Zepeel's Savage Dating Rebellion

Anthony Macri, co-founder of Zepeel, is tearing down the lies of dating culture with a campaign that dares to say: “If you’re ugly, be ugly.” This isn’t about shock, it’s about killing the myth that perfection is the price of love.

Q1: ‘If you’re ugly, be ugly.’ Is this the most savage dating campaign ever, or are we just finally telling the truth?
Let’s call it what it is—truth in a world that thrives on filters and fiction. We didn’t set out to be savage for shock value. We set out to be honest in a space that’s been lying to people for too long. The campaign holds up a mirror, literally. If that feels brutal, maybe it’s because we’re not used to seeing real faces anymore.

Q2: You’ve called this a ‘scorched earth’ campaign. What’s the biggest rule in dating you wanted to blow up first?
The lie that perfection is a prerequisite for love. Every dating app subtly rewards curation, filtering, exaggeration—and users play the game. We blew that up. At Zepeel, if you show up real, you show up first. It’s time to stop performing and start connecting.

Q3: You’re using AI to police catfishers and glow-up cheats. How far are you willing to go?
As far as it takes to make dating honest again. We use AI to detect face filters, inconsistencies across uploads, and even deceptive photo manipulation. If you look nothing like your profile on a Tuesday morning, the app knows. And soon, so will your matches. We’re not just a dating app—we’re a reality check.

Q4: Be honest—what’s your personal worst dating profile sin?
I once used a picture that was three years old and fifteen pounds ago. Classic. And honestly, it felt harmless… until I met someone who looked nothing like their own photos. That disconnect? It kills trust before the first drink’s even ordered. Lesson learned.

Q5: Let’s talk about Toronto. Why did you choose your hometown to start this global middle finger to dating culture?
Toronto’s a city of diversity and contrast—cultures, people, opinions. It’s the perfect testing ground for something that challenges norms. If we can spark a dating revolution here, where image and identity intersect every day, we can spark it anywhere.

Q6: You used real people with acne, double chins, and bad hair in the campaign. How did they react seeing themselves 30 feet tall?
Most were terrified at first. Then they felt empowered. These are people who’ve been cropped out, filtered, or passed over in every swipe-based system. Now they’re the face of a movement. And when they saw themselves that big, unfiltered and unapologetic, it felt like a reclaiming. Some cried. All smiled.

Q7: People might say this campaign is brutally honest to the point of cruel. How do you respond?
Cruel is making people believe they’re not lovable unless they Photoshop their pores away. Cruel is ghosting someone because their angles didn’t match reality. What we’re doing is removing the mask. That might feel jarring at first—but real is never cruel. It’s the foundation of anything worth building.

Q8: What’s your message to the people still clinging to their ‘perfect’ profiles?
Ask yourself: Are you trying to get matches, or trying to get real? If your perfect profile lands you a perfect date who doesn’t actually know who you are, what have you won? At Zepeel, we believe showing up as yourself is the flex. Filters fade. Chemistry doesn’t.

Q9: What’s the one thing about dating culture today that makes you want to throw your phone at the wall?
The performative BS. Everyone’s auditioning for a role instead of showing up as a person. Bios sound like LinkedIn, photos are magazine covers, and conversations are stale before they start. I want real humans back. We all do—we just needed a place that demanded it.