Uber Feats of Genius

Every week my colleagues get together on a Zoom meeting for something we call a Brand Pod. 

As we all work from home or remotely, this serves as a gathering of like minds (experienced curmudgeonly creatives in the increasingly less rewarding business of building brands) and an arena for what we jokingly used to call at Team One, "false employee camaraderie." 

Though I have a few years on these creative co-workers, each is a well established, successful veteran of this biz, coming from places like 72 & Sunny, Goodby, Fallon and others. Each week we pause to discuss noteworthy advertising work that we might have seen. Each week there is a noticeable silence. 

This week there won't be.

Of course, as the picture would indicate, we'll be talking about the new spate of spots from Uber Eats.

 More specifically, the one featuring Elton John and a guy called Naz. I could feign ignorance and tell you I know nothing of this artist. And given my advanced 44 years of age, you'd buy that whole silk cloth. But I make it my business to stay current on pop culture and often surprise my two grown daughters with my familiarity of today's icons.

First thing I love about the spot is the absurdity of two gazillionaire musicians, from wildly different genres, riding atop colorful carny rides, in the parlor of a stuffy old mansion. 

And then there is the dynamic of Elton unable to get his machine to go while pestering Mr. Nas for spare change. Moreover I love how the spot is fully committed to the joke which takes up a good 20 seconds of the spot. And even moreover, the rambling off of English slang names for money, any of which might be considered patently offensive (pearl clutch) to people.

Those are 20 seconds that could have been used to spew dry copy points about the omnipresence of Uber Eats. Or fast delivery times. Or excellent customer service. Or whatever bullshit the marketing people have convinced themselves must be driven home because... well, the data says so.

But they don't. 

Instead, they do what advertising people have seemingly forgotten to do -- entertain, charm and persuade. 

The salesmanship, is in the subtlety. Because prior to the needling conversation, which some would call mean, and negative, and irrelevant, each star cleverly discusses the meal he is so looking forward to. Followed by a bag drop, which graphically and reductively conveys the "value prop" of what Uber Eats is all about -- restaurant quality food delivered to your doorstep.

It's deceptively simple. 

Noteworthy, because they didn't film the brief.

And effective, considering the crowded competitive landscape, which includes Doordash, Grubhub, and Chownow. 

I can't remember any of their commercials or advertising. But do find myself mindlessly walking around my house imitating Mr. Nas' perfectly delivered punchline...

"Funny, you don't look broke."