Uber
Event structure
The taxi and food delivery app has partnered with agencies Manifold and PrettyGreen and worked with other brands including Absolut and Budweiser on its experiential campaigns.
Social footprint
Uber’s UK Twitter page @UberUK has 37,500 followers; its Facebook page has garnered more than 20.5 million likes and its Instagram feed has 890,000 followers.
Recent campaigns
For this year’s SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, Uber created a dining experience at the top of a double decker bus to promote its Visa card. The activation featured chef Nic Yanes creating a menu that reflected Austin’s neighbourhoods with flavours including Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Tex-Mex and Italian. The brand also worked with Budweiser in December 2016 to launch a responsible drinking campaign, aiming to ensure people got home safely during the Christmas period. Uber offered free rides to new Uber users throughout December, encouraging people to pre-plan their trips home.
Latest campaign
Uber teamed up with Manchester United Football Club in April to create a fan experience in Bengaluru, India, featuring an appearance from footballer Wes Brown. The three-day activation, created by Copa90 and delivered by US experience agency Manifold, included a live broadcast of the Manchester United versus Arsenal game for 35 fans in a 360-degree Old Trafford pod experience.
Airbnb
Event structure
Airbnb has worked with agencies including Jack Morton Worldwide, as well as partnering with brands such as Martini, Pantone and Cartoon Network.
Social footprint
@Airbnb_uk has 20,500 followers, while its Facebook page has gathered just over 14 million likes. Its Instagram feed has amassed 3.1 million followers.
Recent campaigns
Last December, the brand created a festival in China with crafts and live music, to mark the fact that the country is set to become Airbnb’s largest global market by 2020. More than 250 people attended the Festival of Hosting where they could take part in photography, personalised tea creation, mulled wine spice mixing, cocktail making and home-craft design. It was created by experience agency Jack Morton.
In May 2017, in partnership with Airbnb, Martini gave one lucky winner and a guest the chance to spend the night in the Williams Martini Racing garage at the Silverstone Formula 1 track. During the Martini x Airbnb experience, the winner received a guided tour of the garage.
Latest campaign
Airbnb teamed up with community-driven music platform Little Concert to launch a series of Airbnb Concerts in London this summer, part of the Mayor of London's Sounds Like London campaign. The series featured 11 Airbnb concerts across London over the course of a month; the first took place on 1 June at Tower Bridge. British singer, songwriter and musician Jade Bird became the first performer in history to hold a concert inside the iconic landmark’s North Tower.
Campaign says:
Both Airbnb and Uber have adopted similar strategies for their experiential marketing activities, partnering with other brands for exclusive experiences staged around the world. Airbnb perhaps has a slight edge with its ambitious emphasis on large-scale events such as branded concerts and festivals.
