Taiwan – Uber One, a subscription-based membership program that offers savings and deals across Uber and Uber Eats, made its debut with an engaging campaign collaborated by Special and the local creative agency, Whatever.
The “Never Eat Dirt Again” campaign plays on the phrase “I have to eat dirt now,” which is frequently uttered by Taiwanese people who are experiencing financial hardship, especially while waiting for their paycheck.
To remind Taiwanese who are looking for value that they will never have to consider eating dirt again because of Uber One’s member savings and exclusive deals, which are all accessible at their hands, Special reverse-engineered the culturally resonant insight and created a series of humorous scenarios.
The humorous creative elements of the campaign show people on the verge of consuming dirt that appears to pour out of various household appliances, such as refrigerators, microwave ovens, toasters, rice cookers, cabinets, and even cereal boxes, only to realise the financial advantages of Uber One.
Speaking about the campaign, Shiny Lee, Creative director of whatever, said, “In Taiwan, there’s a local phrase, ‘I’ll have to eat dirt’, for when you’ve run out of money at the end of the month. It’s a light-hearted metaphor people use when they can’t afford fancy food. Luckily, with the great savings and deals on Uber One, you’ll never have to eat dirt again.”
Meanwhile, James Sexton, creative director special of Uber APAC, remarked, “Leveraging a well-known saying allowed us to position Uber One in a culturally relevant way, and the literal portrayal of a world where people are about to eat dirt, further leans into the brand’s willingness to not take itself too seriously.”
Melissa Chen, Uber Eats head of marketing, expressed, “I am so proud of “our dirty baby” birthed by the best crew of local and international talent. We are able to infuse the power of an established cultural vernacular to our creative ambition and our mission to serve Taiwanese’ desires in getting the best savings and value with Uber One.”
