Finding the right person has never been easy, but Lisa Catalano, a 42-year-old woman from San Francisco, decided to take matters into her own hands in a way that few would ever dare. She poured thousands of dollars into billboards and taxi advertisements bearing the simple but bold message “Marry Me,” and the response was nothing short of staggering. According to The California Post, more than 4,000 men answered her call. “People will be shocked by how much I spent,” Catalano said, adding that she plans to release a full breakdown of expenses once everything wraps up and she gets engaged.
The bulk of her investment went toward billboard space along Highway 101, stretching between Santa Clara and South San Francisco. Because traditional billboards aren’t available within San Francisco city limits, she opted for digital screens mounted on taxis instead, running roughly 20 of them at peak capacity. Those taxi displays cycled through her ad every 30 seconds or so before she pulled them on January 1st. At the height of the campaign, she had around ten billboard locations, though by October that number had shrunk to somewhere between six and eight.
For Valentine’s Day, Catalano went all out and put up 14 specially designed billboards for a two-day run, each featuring a romantic seasonal message tied to her personal website. Beyond the outdoor advertising, she also paid for her own domain and web hosting, built the site herself, and covered costs for promotional materials like business cards, flyers, and badges. She even bought a printer and stocked up on paper and ink so she could personally print and review every single application that came in. “I did everything by hand, alone, without any help,” she said.
@marrylisaofficial I’m trying to find a husband, and I’m doing it by renting billboard space on highway 101 in the #sanfrancisco Bay Area! 😱 #moderndating #lookingforlove #highway101 #siliconvalley ♬ original sound – Lisa
Catalano spent years working in the tech industry and now works as a freelancer while also reselling vintage clothing. Living and operating a campaign in the San Francisco Bay Area, where both the cost of living and advertising rates run exceptionally high, made the whole endeavor a significant financial undertaking by any standard. Despite the steep price tag, she has remained committed to seeing it through to the end.
Going through more than 4,000 applications was no small task. She read every single one herself before narrowing the pool down to 50 candidates, then 20, and finally scheduling five first dates last fall. She also requires each man she goes out with to sign a non-disclosure agreement, both to protect her privacy and theirs. She has not entered an exclusive relationship yet, but says she is genuinely enjoying the process of meeting new people. This past Valentine’s Day, she spent the evening with someone she had been seeing for about a month, choosing to skip the crowded restaurant scene in favor of watching a romantic comedy and cooking dinner together at home.
The campaign has not been without its emotional toll. Since launching it, online trolls have repeatedly labeled her “desperate,” a characterization she firmly rejects. She maintains that knowing exactly what you want and actively pursuing it is the opposite of desperation. Part of what drove her to this unconventional approach was growing frustration with dating apps, which she felt never produced the kind of meaningful exchanges or genuine connections she was looking for. When critics questioned why she hadn’t been more active in dating during her twenties, she explained that she had been in a serious long-term relationship during that decade, but that her partner passed away after a prolonged illness.
Along with the negativity, she has also received a wave of heartfelt support from strangers. One admirer reached out specifically to commend her “enormous courage” in putting herself out there so publicly. Catalano has acknowledged that the entire experience has been what she describes as “the most stressful period” of her life, but she remains upbeat and genuinely hopeful that everything will work out. Her screening process has clear boundaries: she immediately rules out anyone living outside the United States due to distance, as well as anyone who falls outside the age range of 35 to 47. She also found that a notable number of applicants submitted their forms as a joke or openly stated they had no real interest in marriage, and those were quickly filtered out as well.
Billboard advertising has a long history as one of the most attention-grabbing forms of outdoor marketing, dating back to large-scale posters used in the mid-19th century. In the United States, the Outdoor Advertising Association of America estimates that Americans are exposed to dozens of out-of-home advertisements daily, making billboards one of the highest-reach formats available. The San Francisco Bay Area is particularly competitive for outdoor ad space due to the density of commuter traffic along major corridors like Highway 101. Non-disclosure agreements, which Catalano requires her dates to sign, are legally binding contracts typically used to protect sensitive personal or professional information from being shared publicly. Dating app fatigue has also become a widely discussed phenomenon in recent years, with surveys showing that a growing number of singles feel burned out by swipe-based platforms and long for more organic or intentional ways to meet potential partners.
If you have thoughts on Lisa’s bold approach to finding love, share them in the comments.
