With Christmas TV ads bursting out of every channel, this week we are going to spare you our humble opinion on which ones strike a chord and which hit a bum note; we traditionally leave that to the indefatigable Jonathan Spooner Esq – but don’t expect too many sparkling baubles.
No dear readers, this week we are turning to Uber – after all, it’s a fair chance most people will be using its services in the coming weeks – and a new campaign designed to flag up the Uber One membership scheme.
But this is no ordinary ad, this one stars Hollywood legend Robert de Niro and Sex Education star Asa Butterfield. Yes, yes, we know, old “Bob” is always popping up in ads, from Warburton’s to Kia, although the least said about the latter, the better.
Devised by Mother London and directed by David Shane, the TV spot opens on a film set with De Niro seemingly eating lunch when Butterfield approaches him gingerly and enquires: “Hey Robert, d’you eat food?” to which De Niro replies “Yeah, I eat food, do you?”
From this innocuous exchange their friendship develops and the spot goes on to showcase vignettes of the two stars bonding while getting Uber rides around London and enjoying dishes from Uber Eats.
Running across TV, BVOD, cinema, and digital platforms, featuring cuts ranging from six seconds to longer formats, it will be backed by tongue-in-cheek poster ads, highlighting that Uber One is a membership for everyone who eats food and goes places.
It says here that “the poster headlines speak in a disarmingly obvious and humorous tone, with a design language that echoes the same simple, matter-of-fact style”.
Naturally, the campaign will also incorporate content created by social media influencers including Pablo Rochat (@pablo.rochat), Dani Ha (@daniverdari) and Dominique Davis (@allthatisshe) celebrating acts of eating food and going places.
Uber UKI and Uber Eats head of marketing Maya Gallego Spiers seems pretty pleased with the outcome. She said: “For our first ever Uber One campaign we’ve been lucky enough to work with the incredibly brilliant Robert De Niro and Asa Butterfield who have brought this campaign to life beautifully on screen.
“It aims to let people know that Uber One is a membership for people who eat food and go places, which is just about everyone. With Uber One, members can save money on Uber & Uber Eats, and it’s already being enjoyed by over one million people in the UK.
So, what is the consensus around the Decision Marketing office?
Well, the temptation must have been to get these two actors to ham it up with a Meet the Fockers/Sex Education mash-up. But its simplicity is its crowning glory and the onscreen chemistry between the two works wonders, obviously helped in no small part by a great script, sensitive directing and the fact that they are both top actors.
Just don’t mention Graham Chase Robinson…
Decision Marketing Adometer: A ‘Godfather’ 10 out of 10
