Uber ‘The Price of Regret’

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Summary
This campaign was produced in South Africa for the EMEA Markets. The ads flighted in these countries – Sweden, Portugal, Poland, Romania and South Africa.
Uber is a much-loved ride-hailing app all over the world, synonymous with getting around. But in some European markets, markets that represent a large strategic opportunity for the brand, Uber’s high price perception is hindering growth.

This market, consisting of Sweden, Portugal, Poland and Romania, offers significant potential but much of this is capitalised by the region’s price-fighting competitors who have, on average, launched first, invested more, gained higher SOV and leveraged aggressive price promotions.

In this region, the belief that Uber is more expensive than all other commuting modes, has resulted in consumers not even checking the Uber app before going places. Instead defaulting to other transport options, including public transport and even walking.

Quote from a category user: “Yeah, I alternate between different ways of commuting. Sometimes I choose ride-hailing when it’s more convenient – like when it’s raining, late at night, I have an urgent meeting, it’s too crowded to take the subway, or I’m with my kids. Uber doesn’t even occur to me because it’s too expensive!”

People don’t avoid Uber because of price. They avoid it because of what they think it costs.

However, the reality is that Uber is often the same price, or cheaper, than their competitors, and when it comes to public transport, the cost is not always just the price of the ticket, it’s also the inconvenience, discomfort and effort. Uber needed a campaign that would challenge people’s perception, encourage them to price check on the app and book a trip. 

Our challenge would be how to change the perception that Uber is too expensive, across multiple countries, languages and cultures.
To do this, we created a series of non-verbal films using a human truth: when people try too hard to save money, they sometimes make decisions that cost them more.

Using the insight that often it’s not the big expenses we regret but the relatively small savings we convince ourselves are critical, which end up backfiring and costing us more money, time and effort. So, instead of telling people Uber is affordable, we showed them the cost of thinking it isn’t.

Through three relatable stories, everyday journeys escalate into humorous and costly situations leading to The Price of Regret, shifting perceptions and encouraging people to consider Uber.

Why this work relevant for Film
The Price of Regret is a comedic campaign built off simple and entertaining human stories that come to life best in film. By allowing viewers to see the characters and feel their emotions, we were able to connect them to how it would feel if something like this happened to them. Seeing is believing, and that shifts the viewer’s perception.
In addition, visual storytelling also allowed the work to resonate across several different countries and languages.

Brand: Uber
Client: Hossam Gadallah, Jaimie Jennings, Kate Owen

Agency: Joe Public
Agency Managing Director: Khutala Gala Holten, Mpume Ngobese
Chief Creative Officer: Pepe Marais, Xolisa Dyeshana
Executive Creative Director: Brendan Hoffmann
Creative Director: Daniel Fisher
Agency Art Director: Andrew Jones
Agency Producer: Wendy Botha
Account Management: Caree Ferrari, Michelle Bekker
Writer: Daniel Fisher

Film Production Company: Romance Films
Film Director: Greg Gray
Producer: Helena Woodfine, Shannon McDougall
Art Director/Stylist: Wendy Fredriksson
Cinematography: Adam Bentel

Editing Company: Deliverance Post Production
Editor: Ricky Boyd

Post Production Facility: Deliverance Post Production
Post Production Producer: Paula Raphael
VFX Operator: Marco Raposo de Barbosa
Colourist: Nic Apostoli

Sound & Music: Pressure Cooker Studios
Music Composition: Elben Schutte (Re-recording), Loulia Esteve (Singer)
Music Supervision: Marc Algranti
Recording Studio: (Not an IDIDTHAT member)
Sound Designer: Steven Webster

Media Agency: (Not an IDIDTHAT member)

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