Uber: Effortless Night

Thanks to Uber, having a wild and unpredictable night around town is now easier than ever. Here we take a good look at Uber’s ‘Effortless night’ ad, directed by Kim Gehrig, and evaluate the commercial regarding memorability, effectiveness, style, humor, and execution. See if you agree with our initial thoughts:

Memorability – 7 / 10

The ad does a great job of making a fine first impression through high-level production value. A compilation of constantly adapting scenes and colours throughout the clip ensures the display is captivating and in tune with the overall brand message. Although it flows seamlessly in an effort to portray ease and effortlessness, some will feel it lacks “punch”. There’s no major “event” or climax to the concept. It doesn’t leap out and grab your attention, and it certainly has no outstanding moments, one-liners or “share worthy” aspects. Stylish but not terribly impressive or amazing. From a brand so trendy and relevant, many would expect more “fireworks”.

Effectiveness – 6 / 10

The core idea of the Uber service is definitely nailed, but alongside other tv ad’s that will feature more oomph and gravity, it’s easy to imagine this somber Uber ad missing out on precious memory real estate.

Style – 7 / 10

The kitchen sink has been thrown at this commercial in terms of production value and aesthetics. A dialogue-free sequence, heavily choreographed routines and “single shot” inspired videography combine to create a highly presentable clip. The question remains, however, are pure good looks with a touch of humor enough? Will this clip become a viral sensation and result in a huge spike in Uber downloads and consumer usage. The overwhelming feeling we got on first view was no.

Heart or Humor – 6 / 10

A dash of humour between the core characters in a “dating scenario” keeps the ad relevant to it’s prime target demographic. Again, no sparks fly as the humor is kept to a level that is far tamer than it needs or should be. Such a “hip” brand has a complete license to throw out a concept with either major outstanding impact, side-splitting humor or a clever marriage of both. But instead, we get neither.

Execution – 7 / 10

If the ad’s core objective was merely to remind viewers that Uber exists beautifully, the job has been done to a satisfactory level. But we very much doubt a brand of this magnitude would have such restrained goals. The cinematography is beautiful, and the production elements are flawless as you would expect, but the concept lacks “firepower, ” and we worry that many consumers will find themselves forgetting it shortly after taking it in.