Recognizing that local restaurants had been devastated by the year-long lockdown, Uber Eats created a $20 million restaurant-relief program to support those facing economic distress.

The communications brief was to come up with an integrated campaign that would dominate headlines and create a cultural conversation that amplified the relief effort. We needed to create a campaign that towered over others while delivering a bold call to action. The campaign turned the typical process on its head, by using the national megaphone of the Super Bowl to spearhead extensive PR outreach that would engage local audiences everywhere and urge their support of the neighborhood diner, burger joint and local, star chef. We wanted to make our ‘Eat Local’ initiative a key talking point of the Super Bowl period, a time of keen consumer media consumption, and also elevate Uber Eats’ standing in the category by delivering cultural and personal relevance.

Myers, Carvey and Cardi B not only promoted Uber Eats’ local restaurant campaign, they did so in a way that played to the millions of dedicated ad fans in the audience by skewering one industry trope after another. In a way, we made the meta of all Super Bowl ads, but with the idea to drive people to order from their local mom-and-pop restaurants.

The spot featured such trusty canards as a subliminal message to “Eat Local,” a shampoo-model Garth worthy of a pageant, cherubic, Wayne and Garth look-alike babies and Cardi B, comedically making a perfunctory and out-of-place celebrity cameo. It all came together in one final ad trope that captured everyone’s 2020, basement-dwelling lives, an awkward TikTok dance. On digital and social channels a 2.5 hour version of the ad appeared that properly thanked every local restaurant on Uber Eats - containing entertainment easter eggs to encourage viewing.

Our strategy was to create a drumbeat of PR around the Super Bowl sustained by three unique media moments: pre-launch: teaser during Saturday Night Live - which sparked the question 'Was Wayne's World actually back?'; Super Bowl launch; and post Super Bowl (“Wayne’s World Says Thanks” film), to push awareness, talkability and direct action.

During each phase, we conveyed the message, “Together, we can help support the local restaurants you love.”

The target audience was broad: anyone using delivery apps and new/potential users, segmenting from thrifty types to luxury seekers. The target was captured by the talent, Wayne and Garth fans, broadly GenX and millennial family shoppers who are heavy users of delivery apps and Cardi B’s passionate fanbase of habit-forming Gen Z consumers.

We created press releases, sharable content, and interview opportunities with the campaign stars and Uber Eats executives.

First, Wayne and Garth were reintroduced to the world on their original home, “Saturday Night Live,” where they teased the Super Bowl spot. A PR push helped get the teasers picked up by the media. That led up to the Super Bowl ad that featured the duo and Cardi B, which blew up on social media followed by localized executions, promoting Uber Eats and its connection to local restaurants around the nation. They even thanked 89,151 restaurants in a two-and-a-half hour scroll that featured their antics in the iconic basement space. Uber Eats created a $20 million fund for a restaurant-relief program and a website to locate affiliated restaurants.

Uber Eats delivered for local restaurants with this campaign, with 4.5 million orders to local restaurants during the key PR time frame, and a 71.5% increase in new eaters during Super Bowl Sunday.

The campaign messaging to #EatLocal rang loud and clear throughout earned media coverage, from The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to targeted trade outlets.

The PR campaign netted more than 1,070-plus pieces of unique, high-quality, worldwide media coverage, equivalent to more than $164MM USD in ad value.

The tone of the coverage was uplifting and positive throughout. Meanwhile, the message was conveyed uniformly throughout all placements that the humble stars of local-access TV, Wayne and Garth, encouraged everyone to support local restaurants, made easier by Uber Eats. While some outlets focused on the “Eat Local” message, others delved into the details of the $20 million restaurant-relief package, in both cases a win for the mom-and-pops.

The outreach captured the attention of the media and soon the U.S. A few highlights tell the story:

*The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon did an interview with Mike Myers to get the buzz rolling

*Picked up by The Today Show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Tonight, Fox Sports and more

*4.8 million views on Twitter

*#4 most watched ad on Super Bowl Sunday according to YouTube

*Rated #2 best ad by Rolling Stone

*Rated #3 best ad by Billboard

*Made Top 10 Best Super Bowl Ads of 2021 by Adweek

*Teaser Film trended at #2 on YouTube

Business outcomes included over 4.5 million orders to local restaurants and a 71.5% increase in new eaters during Super Bowl Sunday.