UBER LICENSES ‘FAMOUS RIDES’ FOR HALLOWEEN CAMPAIGN
FAMOUS CARS LICENSED FOR UBER ADVERTISING
BACKGROUND:
Halloween is always one of the busiest weekends for Uber. So, to celebrate in style, Uber decided to dress up their cars as famous vehicles from film and TV to create an impactful campaign that would get people talking about their brand.
THE CALL TO BORN:
Uber’s creative agency in the US, Kamp Grizzly, approached Born Licensing with a list of famous cars they were interested in licensing for Halloween weekend. They had multiple vehicles in mind belonging to a number of different Rights Holders. Born Licensing were called on to reach out to the different rights holders to explore options and negotiate license fees.
WHERE BORN ADDED VALUE:
Time was of the essence for this campaign which had to launch Halloween weekend for maximum impact. Our vast experience and strong relationships with Rights Holders meant we were able quickly whittle down a shortlist of feasible famous vehicles that ticked all boxes from both a creative and budget standpoint. As licensing agents for ViacomCBS we didn’t charge Kamp Grizzly or Uber any clearance fees for SpongeBob SquarePants’ Patty Wagon or TMNT’s Party Wagon.
RESEARCH FOR FAMOUS CARS:
There were a number of famous vehicles of interest, and we helped explore all possibilities along with suggesting other iconic vehicles that fit the brief and budget. Working with multiple rights holders can sometimes add a layer of complexity and there were various combinations of vehicles that needed working through. We had to be ready with back-up options during the process to ensure the campaign featured a strong selection of cars. The final ‘star cars’ were the Mystery Machine from Scooby-Doo, the Patty Wagon from SpongeBob SquarePants, and the Party Wagon from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
THE APPROVAL PROCESS:
The three vehicles and all supporting material needed to be reviewed and approved by the Rights Holders. With franchise teams based over different time zones Born Licensing carefully managed the process from start to finish ensuring the Rights Holders were happy with how their IP was being used, whilst making sure key deadlines were met. Whilst the Mystery Machine and TMNT Party Wagon were existing vehicles sourced from superfans – the SpongeBob SquarePants Patty Wagon had to be developed from scratch using a mini cooper as the base. We worked closely with ViacomCBS and Kamp Grizzly to ‘dress up’ the car as accurately as possible within the limits of keeping it roadworthy.
THE LAUNCH:
After local press previews, the cars went live for Halloween weekend 2021! Uber riders in Miami had the chance to take a spin in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ Party Wagon, riders in Los Angeles had the chance to ride in SpongeBob SquarePants’ Patty Wagon, and riders in Atlanta had the chance to motor around in Scooby-Doo’s Mystery Machine! In the spirit of wishing riders a safe Halloween, those lucky enough to hitch a ride with the famous cars won a fun Scooby-Doo/TMNT/SpongeBob face covering. The launch was supported with a social film plus specially made content from influencers Will Wahony and Nina Drama.
THE EXPERIENCE:
Born Licensing managed to secure three super fun and iconic vehicles for Uber’s Star Cars Halloween campaign in a very short period of time. The timing would have been a major barrier without our existing relationships and vast experience. We managed the entire licensing process from start to finish, including research and development, negotiation of commercial terms, the contractual process, invoicing, and the resource-heavy approval process.
SCOOBY-DOO and all related characters and elements © & ™ Hanna-Barbera (s21), © Viacom, © Viacom. Created by Stephen Hillenburg.
THE EXPERIENCE
Born Licensing managed to secure three super fun and iconic vehicles for Uber’s Star Cars Halloween campaign in a very short period of time. The timing would have been a major barrier without our existing relationships and vast experience. We managed the entire licensing process from start to finish, including research and development, negotiation of commercial terms, the contractual process, invoicing, and the resource-heavy approval process.
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