Brief:
- Uber will have a more optimistic tone to its upcoming ad campaign that will be the biggest in the ride-hailing pioneer's history, Ad Age reported. The "Doors Are Always Opening" campaign is part of the company's effort to move past a year of bad publicity and managerial changes.
- The campaign, created by 72andSunny Los Angeles, debuted Sunday night during NBC's broadcast of the New York Giants – Dallas Cowboys game. One ad shows how Uber fits in with people's lives during key life events, such as driving to the hospital before childbirth, along with a voiceover that says, "Whatever your ambition, whatever your drive, whatever you are chasing, opportunity is everywhere … All you have to do to find it is get out here."
- Uber didn't reveal how much it plans to spend on the campaign, which will also include digital banners and out-of-home ads in major U.S. cities. News of the latest campaign comes after the company redesigned its app with a new logo last week.
Insight:
Uber's latest campaign moves on from its contrite tone in its "Moving Forward" spots to one that is upbeat, highlighting optimism for the future and the potentially emotional stories of its services. Likely the hope is that customers will focus on the new features and services the company has been testing more recently instead of the spate of bad publicity from controversies around a major data breach and accusations of sexual harassment and gender discrimination, among others.
The variety of services Uber has experimented with over the last year shows a company searching for the latest app trend that will fill consumer demand for convenience in as many aspects of day-to-day life as possible. In November, Uber introduced UberEats as a standalone app with restaurant reviews to help customers decide on the best places to order from. The company also has helped restaurateurs to address unmet demand in their delivery area with "virtual restaurants," TechCrunch reported. The company also tested out bike sharing in San Francisco and prep tested 30-minute food delivery by drone.
In addition, Uber has expanded its partnerships, including teaming with Venmo for payments and Cargo for in-car commerce, to make its service more attractive for users. However, this year also saw Walmart end its grocery delivery partnership with the company. Walmart planned to use other delivery service providers like Deliv, Postmates and DoorDash in the four markets where it had partnered with Uber.
