Uber shifts Hong Kong strategy with Gareth T campaign from Special

Uber is shifting its marketing strategy in Hong Kong as the ride-hailing category matures, moving the conversation away from convincing consumers to e-hail and towards what they can do with the time the service gives them back.

The new brand platform, “Keep Doing What You Do”, has been developed by Special and launches with a campaign starring Cantopop singer-songwriter Gareth T.

At the heart of the strategy is a simple observation: instead of standing on the street waiting to hail a taxi, an Uber customer knows roughly when their car will arrive and can use those few minutes for something else.

Special chief strategy officer Asia Celia Garforth said the shift reflects the evolution of the Hong Kong market.

“As Hong Kong's ride-hailing category matures, Uber's focus has shifted from competing with street-hailing to demonstrating the broader benefits of e-hailing,” Garforth said.

“This new platform shows how the certainty of knowing when your ride will arrive gives people the freedom to make the most of every minute.”

The launch film builds on Gareth T’s song 早到的U (Your Ride Is Here), in which an Uber arriving early cuts short a romantic confession. Uber gives him another shot in the campaign, providing three uninterrupted minutes before the car arrives to complete the confession.

What begins relatively conventionally quickly becomes considerably less so, with Gareth eventually levitating above a restaurant, singing in the rain alongside doves and wielding a sword.

Special chief creative officers Lisa Fedyszyn and Jonathan McMahon worked with Hong Kong lyricist Wyman Wong to rewrite the track for the campaign.

“It was a lot of fun to build on a song about Uber that Hong Kong already knew and loved,” Fedyszyn and McMahon said.

“Underneath it all is a simple benefit: when you know when your ride is expected to arrive, those three minutes are yours to use however you want.”

Two additional films extend the idea into everyday situations, including a woman squeezing in time with her cat and a father frantically turning appliances off before leaving for the airport.

Uber Mobility Hong Kong head of marketing Toga Leung said the platform was grounded in a particularly relevant local behaviour.

“At its core, this platform and the launch campaign speaks to a cultural value that resonates so strongly with Hongkongers: efficiency and the smart use of time,” Leung said.

The campaign rolls out through a 60-second hero film, shorter video edits, social, contextual creative, outdoor, online video and digital audio.

Special is lead creative agency, with Omelette Company Limited working as creative and production partner, Sweetshop Asia handling film production and EssenceMediacom overseeing media.