Confused celebrities help shine a light on Uber’s new membership Uber One via Special Australia
Uber has enlisted the help of Dannii Minogue, former Bachelor Tim Robards and Neighbours legend Ian Smith to spread awareness of the many perks in its new membership programme, Uber One in a new campaign via Special.
In a first for the category, Uber One membership gives access to savings and exclusive perks across both Uber and Uber Eats, with members saving around $30 every month. But with such a broad array of benefits across two sides of the business, and general consumer confusion over membership products, Uber saw the confusion as an opportunity to clarify things.
In the hero spot, the phrase “A membership for savings and exclusive perks” kicks off a wild, lightning quick game of Celebrity Whispers, with each star gaining an increasingly incorrect understanding of Uber One membership. The result is a rapid-fire reinforcement of the benefits of Uber One.
The rest of the integrated campaign, created by Special, dives deeper into the details, leveraging the culturally relevant confusion of more celebrities, including Drag Race’s Coco Jumbo and food critic Matt Preston.
Says Sarah Parris, creative director at Special: “Being a new membership, across both Uber & Uber Eats, with multiple benefits across both platforms, we knew Uber One could create some confusion. We decided to embrace the complication and confuse things even more with a bunch of celebs who self-referentially tease themselves to create clarity.”
Says Andy Morley, director of marketing at Uber: “We wanted to spread the word on the benefits of Uber One membership, as it can really offer value to those who use the Uber and Uber Eats apps regularly. And what better way to let Aussies know than through some of our favourite stars!
“We know that membership propositions are often very complex to explain due to the multiple layers of benefits and information needed to communicate, often leading to dry, functional creative. However, our agency partners have (yet again!) overcome this challenge through brilliant strategic thinking, bold creativity with cultural charm, building a launch programme for Uber One which we’re incredibly excited about.”
The campaign will come to life in TV, BVOD, OLV, OOH, DOOH, Social and Owned channels.
CLIENT: UBER & UBER EATS
SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, APAC: LUCINDA BARLOW
DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, ANZ: ANDY MORLEY
MARKETING MANAGER MEMBERSHIPS: DAN GREENBERG
MARKETING MANAGER, NEW VERTICALS – UBER EATS: MARGOT DELTOUR
CREATIVE AGENCY: SPECIAL
FOUNDING PARTNERS/Co-CEO : LINDSEY EVANS & CADE HEYDE
PARTNERS & Co-CCO: JULIAN SCHREIBER & TOM MARTIN
CREATIVE DIRECTORS: SARAH PARRIS, JAMES SEXTON & WAYNE CHING
CREATIVES: JACK WALL & PHILLIP HARKNESS
MANAGING DIRECTOR: TORI LOPEZ
BUSINESS DIRECTOR: GILL LAST
BUSINESS MANAGER: ARMAITY PAVRI
GROUP STRATEGY DIRECTOR: CELIA GARFORTH
STRATEGY DIRECTOR: KELLIE BOX
HEAD OF PRODUCTION: SEVDA CEMO
TV PRODUCER: MARGOT FITZPATRICK
STILLS PRODUCER: DANIELLE SENECKY
DIGITAL PRODUCER: STACEY SZABO
HEAD OF DESIGN: ADAM SHEAR
DESIGNER: SABINE SCHWARZ
SOCIAL LEAD: SARAH MCKIE
MEDIA AGENCY: MEDIACOM
SOCIAL AGENCY: HELLO SOCIAL
FILM PRODUCTION: GOOD OIL
DIRECTOR: DAVE WOOD
CINEMATOGRAPHER: MARTY WILLIAMS
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: SAM LONG
PRODUCER: LEE THOMSON
POST PRODUCTION: THE EDITORS
EDITOR: JACK HUTCHINGS
POST PRODUCER: RITA GAGLIARDI
COLOURIST: FERGUS ROTHERHAM
ONLINE OPERATOR: SOREN DYNE
SOUND: RUMBLE STUDIOS
SOUND ENGINEER: TONE ASTON
CASTING DIRECTOR: STEVIE RAY
STILLS PRODUCTION: CHEE PRODUCTIONS
PHOTOGRAPHER: CHRISOPHER TOVO
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: MATT CHEE
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: TAMIKO CHEE
RETOUCHING: CREAM
RETOUCHER: DAVID MCNEIL
36 Comments
Nice work, whoever wrote it. And Bravo to Dave Wood for another cracker.
Jack & Phil, you legends. Well done.
Not sure what’s going on here?
Agree. Made me laugh out loud. You have to love Harold.
10 out of 10
The old mis-hearing in tv ads, ads.
I just shipped my pants.
Harold is right. That is jolly good.
It’s the comments raving about how good this is.
👏🏾
… is perhaps the best bit. Terrific.
I saw on tellie and actually stopped to watch and laugh. Crack up.
But fuck what’s with the execution? No flow, zero craft. Weird that anyone would think this is ok.
If only we got to see the craft you would’ve brought to the spot, we might have been able to save it.
You’re exhibiting some strong out-of-work-director energy there
Im actually a Creative hoping to see my scripts come to life rather than this basic activity.
Another rhymey rhyme idea?
Fun script aside, what is the actual budget for something like this? Does the production company essentially shoot it for free?
Thats really good Davey.
This is 10/10, Ubers best work yet! The Dannii Minogue line is genius and Harold timing is perfection!
Like it a lot.
Good stuff!
(Also, how do I get my pecs to look like Tim’s?)
Don’t order out and take up weights.
The return of Jack and Philbert!
Best thing Special have done for Uber since the original Aus Open ambush thing. Well done. Now tell me, what’s the advertising budget for this brand??!
I’m struggling to find adequate superlatives to describe this ad.
This is quality comedy. We’ll done to all involved.
Top 3 ad of the year
Very funny. Like it.
That copy is laugh out loud funny. Outstanding work.
Anyone who bags this commercial simply isn’t qualified (Read coward hack). Beautiful editing, directing, writing and performance.
It wasn’t that awful ‘tonight i’ll be eating’ stuff – which, despite what all of you say, was, is and will always be painfully bad.
This, is much better, I like, esp Harrold!
More celebrities for celebrities sake rather than any real insight or idea. What the heck does a misheard line of dialogue have to do with Uber/Eats? This is like one of those late nights tutoring AWARD school when you have to explain why some poor students ‘random’ idea doesn’t make any sense in relation to the product. You know, just with a million dollar budget attached to it.
Is it wrong of me to say I don’t know any of these people? Maybe I’m not the target.
…but sometimes you just gotta find a way to say what it does on the tin in an amusing way. Comedy is hard and this was written and produced really well. Agree, it’s among the best of the Uber Eats done to date. Nice job.
Why is this being defended? It’s fine but it’s painfully simple. The dialogue is ok but im not sure it will hit as hard as they want it too. And yes half the celebrities are completely irrelevant. The single unconnected shots, the pacing, the flat cinematography. I don’t see the love in this that everyone is going on about.
Is this just the old defence of something everyone knows is average but they stand behind it stubbornly anyway? ‘I insist it’s good, so it is.’
Does anyone understand what Dani Minogue is actually saying?