inDrive blows up ride-hailing frustration in new Indonesia campaign

inDrive has made fare frustration a physical problem in its latest Indonesia campaign, with passengers literally inflating when they have no say over the price of their ride.

Developed by the ride-hailing platform’s in-house creative agency inlab, the campaign uses “spontaneous human inflation” to dramatise the pressure of navigating traffic, heat, rain and crowds, only for the tension to ease when riders and drivers reach an agreement on the terms.

Across two films for Auto and Moto, everyday pressures gradually pile up on commuters before an unexpected ride price becomes the final trigger. Their cheeks puff, their bodies expand and their personal space starts to disappear.

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The creative idea is built around inDrive's ability to let riders and drivers consider the terms before a ride is confirmed and agree on an option that works for both parties.

“People don’t experience fairness as a product feature - they experience it as a feeling of having a real say,” said Anna Migal, marketing director EMEA and APAC at inDrive. “In Indonesia, where riders are constantly balancing price, time and reliability, that sense of control really matters. 'Feel the fairness' helps us turn our product difference into something much more human: both rider and driver can choose, respond and reach an agreement that works for them.”

Rather than depicting frustration through a conventional annoyed customer staring at a phone, the campaign makes the emotion physically impossible to miss.

“There are plenty of things about moving around a city that you can’t control - the weather, the traffic, the crowds. We liked the idea that a ride price you have no say in becomes the final little bit of pressure that pushes you over the edge,” said Adrian Ho, creative team lead APAC at inlab. “So instead of showing someone getting annoyed, we made them inflate. It seemed like the sensible thing to do. And no one stopped us.”

The campaign is among the first local expressions of inDrive's global creative platform, “Feel the fairness”, which centres on choice, agreement and the experience of being treated fairly.

Directed by Michelle Hartawan through production company Otherlands, the films maintain a deliberately deadpan approach to the increasingly absurd situation. Rather than having characters explicitly complain about fairness or choice, the tension is expressed through their expanding bodies.

“Indonesia is a market where people are very thoughtful about the choices they make every day, especially when it comes to how they move around the city,” said Rio Aristo, country manager Indonesia at inDrive. “For us, giving people more choice is not only about price. It is about giving riders and drivers greater control over the journey and helping them find an option that feels right for both. This campaign brings that difference to life in a very Indonesian, very human way.”

The campaign was developed by inlab alongside inDrive's global and Indonesian marketing teams. Its 360-degree rollout spans hero films, digital and social, OOH and DOOH, performance media, creators, CRM and in-app placements.

Discover what's next in Indonesia's fast-moving digital landscape at DMA Indonesia 2026 on 13 October in Jakarta, where marketing leaders will explore how AI, creator ecosystems, social commerce, and omnichannel strategies are reshaping customer engagement and business growth.

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