All Blacks + Black Ferns prove they’re just like the rest of us in new Uber campaign via Special

The All Blacks and Black Ferns are revered for what they do on the rugby field. But when they’re not playing rugby on the world stage, they use Uber Eats and Uber the same way the rest of New Zealand does. To celebrate the new partnership between Uber and New Zealand Rugby (NZR), the All Blacks and Black Ferns players star in the ‘They Eats / Rides like us” campaign, developed by Special Group.

Says Andy Morley, head of marketing, APAC, Uber: “We’re excited to be linking up with both the All Blacks and the Black Ferns – and featuring them equally across the campaign – because we know these athletes appreciate the convenience of Uber and Uber Eats when they are on the road or at home just as much as the rest of us – they’re super authentic advocates.”

While most rugby alignments see brands celebrating the high performance athleticism of players, this campaign shows the regular, day-to-dayside of these sporting icons.

Says John Marshall, GM, Special NZ: “Most of us can’t run, tackle, kick, pass, fend and sidestep like the All Blacks and Black Ferns do. But when it comes to ordering an Uber to avoid the rain, or getting some tasty tacos delivered to our doorstep, we’re all pretty much the same. We wanted to celebrate that commonality and show that these rugby stars are human, after all.

“We love working with the Uber and Uber Eats team who challenge us to make the best creative work.”

Says Julian Schreiber co-CCO, Special Aus: “The All Blacks and Black Ferns are typically portrayed as highly skilled rugby players in marketing, so it seemed refreshing to showcase instead their humanity by showing they order food to be delivered while relaxing in front of the TV and grabbing an Uber if they’re in a rush or want the convenience.”

The campaign shows New Zealand’s rugby royalty embracing the convenience of Uber and Uber Eats in a series of highly relatable moments.

Black Ferns Tenika Willison, Maia Roos, and Liana Mikaele-Tu’u show that sometimes ordering an Uber is more convenient.

All Blacks Ardie Savea, Dane Coles, and Ethan de Groot are seen ordering Uber Eats after a kitchen creation fails to meet expectations and someone forgot to empty the dishwasher.

The advertisements went live Saturday 29th July, with the partnership coming to life in five-star fashion with Uber funding discounts on rides on Uber Pool during the Bledisloe Cup and discounts on restaurant meals from thousands of Aotearoa’s best local restaurants across both Bledisloe matches to deliver matchday magic to spectators from the outset.

The campaign was produced by creative agency Special. They will run across a range of platforms including TV, digital, social, OOH.

Client: Uber And Uber Eats
Senior Director, Head Of International Marketing, Uber: Lucinda Barlow
Director Of Marketing, Uber & Uber Eats Apac: Andy Morley
Marketing Manager Anz: Olivia Sykes
Senior Marketing Manager / Brand Lead Anz: Channa Goonasekara
Creative Director Apac: Adam Ledbury
Senior Communications Manager Anz: Nick Vindin
Communications Director: Peta Fitzgerald

Creative Agency: Special

Production Company:  Revolver

Director:  Fiona McGee

Social Agency: Hello Social

PR Agency: Acumen

Media agency: Essence Media

Post Production:  The Editors, Sydney

Music & Sound House: Liquid Studios, Auckland

Photography: Steven Boniface

Retouching: Jason King