Uber Eats is counting on a dizzying array of Matthew McConaughey impersonations to make a splash during this year’s Super Bowl, an event that prominently features competitors like DoorDash and Instacart. The transportation and delivery company has crafted a rapid-fire ad in which the actor portrays various characters through different eras, humorously suggesting that “football is a conspiracy to make us hungry.” Among the surprise guest stars appearing in the commercial are Kevin Bacon, Peyton Manning, Martha Stewart, Greta Gerwig, and Charli XCX. Georgie Jeffreys, Uber’s head of marketing, commented, “It was a lot of different scenes, a lot of set changes,” highlighting the production’s ambition. McConaughey, who takes on characters from several different time periods, described the experience as “really invested.”
Amidst the excitement of the Super Bowl, Uber seeks to position its food delivery service as an integral part of its business model. Touting it prominently during the event is pivotal for cementing ties with the NFL, according to Jeffreys, who emphasized the importance of the partnership. “This will always be pretty critical for us,” she added, reflecting on the strategic significance of the advertisement.
Uber has grown into an expected part of the Super Bowl advertising lineup, and its commercial airing on February 9 marks the company’s fifth appearance as a sponsor. Previously, Uber has featured celebrity-studded ads with intriguing concepts. For instance, last year’s 30-second spot featured Gwyneth Paltrow, Trevor Noah, and Jennifer Coolidge dining on non-food items sculpted from vegan chocolate.
This year’s ad is just the start of Uber’s broader marketing initiative surrounding the Super Bowl. “We really strongly believe that to do the Super Bowl requires more than just the spot,” Jeffreys explained, stressing the importance of capitalizing on the moment. “We call it having lots of tentacles,” she said of their comprehensive marketing approach. As part of this strategy, Uber has collaborated with Martha Stewart to promote her version of the classic Caesar salad, which made a brief appearance in the Super Bowl ad.
Furthermore, Jeffreys teased an engaging media stunt planned around the Caesar’s Superdome, the venue for the big event. She acknowledged that creating this year’s commercial was more challenging than in previous years, stating, “The shoot was pretty demanding and pretty long, and it was a different level of complexity than we had previously done.” Despite the hurdles encountered along the way, she affirmed that “there were a lot of really special moments,” indicating the charm that Matthew McConaughey and the all-star cast might bring to the Super Bowl audience.