A San Francisco woman is buying billboard space along one of California's busiest highways to find a husband.
Forty-two-year-old Lisa Catalano, frustrated by dating apps and fruitless matches, launched a dating website called MarryLisa.com and plastered its name across digital billboards along Highway 101 between Santa Clara and South San Francisco. That's not it; she's also on top of taxis driving through the Bay Area.
"Hi, I'm Lisa. I'm looking for love and I'm trying to find it alongside one of the San Francisco Bay Area's busiest highways," she explained in a YouTube video introducing her campaign.
"I wish I could say that this sounds a little bit less questionable the more I elaborate on it, but that's just not the case."
She continued, "It's been months since I've been on a date. I can't even get men to talk to me on any of the apps. I don't understand what's going on, but I figured it's time for a bold move. And what's bolder than running billboards on the side of a major highway to essentially market myself?"
The site features "stats, photos, endorsements from friends and family, and an extensive video section," as well as details about the qualities she is looking for in a partner. The MarryLisa.com application form includes basic questions about education, occupation, hobbies, and personality, along with an option to upload photos.
"I want somebody who is looking for a committed, monogamous relationship who would like to try for starting a family. I'm looking for someone who leads a healthy lifestyle," she told People magazine.
Catalano hopes to find someone who shares her political and religious values, and he should be ideally between 35 and 45 years old.
So far, applications have come from men ranging in age from 19 to 78. Since launching the site and billboards on September 2, she estimates she has received about 1,800 submissions.
Each billboard shows Catalano's photo alongside the web address in large yellow text on a black background. The ads cycle every eight seconds throughout peak commute hours.
"I wanted something that was just very simple, to the point and a little bit eye-catching," she said, explaining she avoided QR codes so drivers wouldn't have to fumble with their phones.
Her former fiance died in 2023 after a long battle with a terminal illness. "It's a very strange process to try to get back into dating when you've been in a relationship for so long," she said about dating apps.
She believes her perfect match might already be waiting. "I think that there's a guy out there who's a perfect fit for me, and I think I'm a perfect fit for him. We just have not connected yet," Catalano said.
