The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

72andSunny Amsterdam PSA Advertising

Uber ad emulates flight safety videos to dispel risk concerns

Author

By John McCarthy | Opinion Editor

April 5, 2019 | 4 min read

Global ride-hailing app Uber has created a UK ad to show the many precautions the company takes to ensure its passengers use the service safely, days after concerns emerged in the US after a student entered the wrong car and was murdered by the driver.

Uber emulates flight safety videos to dispel risk concerns

Subverting an airline safety briefing, the ad urges passengers to keep their mobile phones “on at all times” to keep track of rides and share a live location to “let loved ones know where you are”.

The ‘Safety Never Stops’ campaign from 72andSunny Amsterdam was created to "communicate the host of pioneering and innovative safety features developed" by Uber.

The spot emphasizes the background checks its drivers go through, as well as the feature that limits them from clocking too much overtime and the app's emergency service quick-dial feature.

Trust-building hero films such as this could go a long way to mending Uber's reputation under the leadership of Dara Khosrowshahi.

In recent years, the rapidly expanding startup has had to deal with PR disasters such as data hacks, global licensing spats, price surges during terror attacks and more.

Most recently, it is dealing with the murder of US student Samantha Josephson who, at 2am in the morning last Friday, called an Uber but accidentally entered the wrong car. She was murdered and dumped in a field 90 miles from the pick-up point by 24-year-old Nathaniel David Rowland, who has been arrested for kidnapping and murder.

Uber refused to comment on the tragedy but referred CNN to its safety tips, which do encourage passengers to check driver photo and licence plates with the app. It is a message echoed in the latest UK creative.

Patrick Stal, Uber’s EMEA head of marketing, noted the campaign had to walk the line of tackling a serious issue with humour.

He said: “We put safety at the heart of everything we do, and Uber has made a number of important steps that have made our platform safer, such as the introduction of key safety features within the app.

"Awareness is a key part of safety, and this marketing campaign is designed to drive up awareness levels of these safety features, through the use of an innovative In Ride briefing concept, which will help ensure as many riders know about our safety features so as to make them as effective as possible.”

Vote for the ad below in The Drum's Creative Works.

Uber: Safety Never Stops by 72andSunny Amsterdam

By Uber

Overall Rating 5/5

Vote now
72andSunny Amsterdam PSA Advertising

More from 72andSunny Amsterdam

View all

Trending

Industry insights

View all
Add your own content +