Uber Eats says ‘Phew’ in new brand platform via Special

Uber Eats has launched a new brand platform, ‘Phew’, shifting its marketing focus from the breadth of its delivery range to the relief that comes when dinner, groceries or a forgotten essential arrives at the door.

Created by Special, the platform marks the latest chapter in the agency’s nine-year partnership with Uber Eats and replaces ‘Get Almost, Almost Anything’ after four years.

Now that Australians know the app can deliver far more than takeaway, Uber Eats is selling the feeling that comes with it. Namely: one less job on the list. Phew, indeed.

From convenience to relief

The new platform draws on ethnographic research that found consumers still feel guilty about paying for some forms of convenience, despite the mounting pressures of everyday life.

‘Phew’ aims to ease that tension by positioning on-demand delivery as a practical answer to daily pressures, rather than an indulgence.

Nicole Bardsley, Director of Marketing, Uber Eats ANZ, said, “Over the last four years, we’ve built incredible familiarity around the promise to ‘get anything’ delivered to your door. With ‘Phew’, we’re tapping into something deeper - the emotional relief of this convenience. Special has once again delivered a platform that reflects how Australians live today, combining sharp cultural insight with high-craft entertainment.”

Special CSO, Uber APAC, Celia Garforth said the platform represented a change in how the brand communicates its value.

“’Phew’ represents a critical strategic shift for the brand. As the on-demand food delivery category has matured over the past decade, they no longer need to drive basic awareness of what they do, but instead focus on why it brings value to people’s lives. Uber should be applauded for the brave simplicity of owning a single, highly distinctive word - in fact, sound! - that exactly captures the essence of how we want people to feel when they think of the brand.”

Back to life before Uber Eats

The launch campaign travels back to 2013, or “B.U.E.”: Before Uber Eats.

Its hero film follows Sam and Ollie as they attempt to make dinner by tracking down ingredients the old-fashioned way. The trip through the considerably less convenient era features cameos from LMFAO’s Redfoo and a pre-stardom Troye Sivan.

Special executive creative directors Simon Gibson and Nils Eberhardt said, “Evolving a brand platform after four incredible years of ‘Get Almost, Almost Anything’ is a rare creative challenge. ‘Phew’ allows us to pivot from functional awareness to emotional connection. Transporting people back to 2013 was a fun way to remind everyone just how friction-heavy life was before on-demand delivery became second nature.”

The hero film is supported by out-of-home, audio and social executions built around familiar moments of relief, including discovering a missing item midway through a DIY project or having an end-of-week craving delivered.

The national campaign will run across television, BVOD, online video, YouTube, social, radio, digital audio, OOH, DOOH, CRM, special builds and consumer activations. EssenceMediacom is handling media.