Consumption occasion / Rethinking when and why people consume your product and creatively interrupting the consumption behaviour can help brands build emotional and functional reasons for purchase – a creative tactic we outline here. Uber Eats is challenging consumers to imagine a different type of Independence Day celebration, one that rewards and honours the holiday’s MVP. In doing so, the brand is fighting against ingrained habits and expanding its pool of potential customers.
By partnering with a local restaurant that specialises in pozole, Uber Eats also legitimises its call to action. The brand isn’t asking consumers to forgo a traditional dish and order a pizza instead; it’s positioning itself as the next best alternative to a complicated home-cooked dish. It’s unlikely that grandmothers will actually cede the stove during the holidays, but the humorous and heartwarming visuals of grannies finding moments of pleasure and peace are salient enough to be recalled the next time someone is craving a quality meal sans labour.
Gateway pozole / Uber Eats is Mexico’s second most popular food delivery app, behind Colombia-based Rappi. Whereas UberEats is affiliated with 50,000 restaurants, Rappi boasts partnerships with over 100,000 businesses – 45,000 of which were small and medium-sized enterprises. Demonstrating the quality and variety of its restaurant partners is crucial to Uber Eats winning market share. In choosing to spotlight a single dish – especially one rich with nostalgia and meaning – Uber Eats is inviting customers to explore what other unexpected local delicacies they can find on the app.
This is yet another campaign that sees Uber Eats setting itself apart from its competitors. Just as it did with the Uber One for Students campaign, which targeted Gen Z to foster lifelong loyalty and habits, this strategy reinforces its ability to forge connections with niche audiences. By celebrating cultural comfort foods that resonate deeply with users, Uber Eats not only differentiates itself in a crowded market but also strengthens its emotional bond with consumers, building trust and loyalty over time.
