Dive Brief:
- Uber deployed drones in Mexico City as part of campaign to "taunt" drivers stuck in gridlocked traffic, according to Adweek.
- The drones carried playfully mocking messages to stuck drivers that said things like "Driving by yourself?" as a way to promote UberPOOL, the company's carpooling service.
- As Adweek notes, Uber recently pulled out of the highly competitive Chinese market, so pushing harder into Mexico City makes sense, as the ride-sharing company is doubling down efforts across Latin America overall, where it has already found success in Mexico and Brazil.
Dive Insight:
Uber sees its burgeoning Mexican market as a sort of testing grounds for more out-there campaigns, with the recent drone stunt following a partnered delivery service for Hershey's candy. The Hershey's campaign eventually moved to the U.S. for Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day promotions, so it's possible that Uber drones might be buzzing stateside soon, though perhaps in a less forward and grating way, as there are FAA restrictions for flying drones in public airspace.
Drones have already been put to good use for content marketing, as the technology can capture video footage that would otherwise be unobtainable. One example of a drone-powered campaign is GE’s Olympics-based “Drone Week,” which had its second annual run in June.
"Drones give GE a unique perspective in the fields of service robotics and storytelling," Sam Olstein, director of innovation at GE, told Marketing Dive earlier this year.
As more ride-sharing options emerge to potentially put pressure on Uber, the company will probably continue to look into less traditional advertising stunts going forward, along with other branded deals that make its service more appealing for marketers.
