Why is this work relevant for PR?

The impact of stunts is often limited to eyeballs on the ground. Sure, they’re cool but are they strong enough to stand up to the scrutiny of editors? For Uber, a tidal wave of talkability and earned media that delivered commercial impact was non-negotiable. Any stunt had to yield strong coverage. Anything less, would be a failure. The Flying Pickle demonstrates how the power of a strong news hook coupled with a show-stopping stunt can deliver transformational business results. With limited paid support, we translated a commercial message – a new grocery category – into something far more newsworthy.

Background

Uber Eats’ celebrity-studded campaigns meant they’re synonymous with delivering restaurant food. But Aussies didn’t realise everything from apples to pet food and vodka became available in 2021. Awareness of Uber’s “Grocery, Convenience and Alcohol” offering was just 35%. In the words of Uber’s Head of Marketing: “It’s handicapped us in terms of people thinking Uber is only for food… Our job as marketers is to reset that thinking, transform all of that brand association with online food delivery and take it into groceries and alcohol.” The brief: Deliver an integrated PR platform positioning Uber Eats as the ‘home of grocery’: - Generate national talkability - 30+ pieces of earned coverage - Build brand fame - 90%+ favourable coverage - Lift Uber Eats’ brand reputation score MOM (Oct-Nov) on Meltwater by 3pts. Unlike ‘Tonight I’ll Be Eating’, there were no celebrities - just an aggressive timeline, smart thinking, and seamless execution.

Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)

Picture the scene: 11am and peak time at Australia’s most iconic beach, Bondi. Surfers, joggers and families look up to a mysterious flying object as it breaks cloud cover. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No… it’s an enormous flying pickle. Coinciding with commissioned nationwide research, we took to the skies on National Pickle Day (14 November), flying a seven-metre-long, 350kg salty delicacy across Sydney’s famous beaches and iconic skyline, while offering 50% off all groceries for 48 hours. The message was simple. In a pickle? We’ll get you out of it – with a vast selection of grocery, convenience and alcohol products, all delivered instantly, with the click of a button. And while the aerial stunt wowed onlookers on the ground, the campaign was meticulously designed to maximise interest amongst broadcast, radio and online media outlets through a robust data story and set of platform-specific assets.

Describe the PR strategy (30% of vote)

Insight: “Fear of Having People Over” As the country emerged from lockdown, Aussies were ready to entertain again – but nervous about returning to normality. With visitor restrictions lifted, more guests meant more unexpected situations – namely at the dinner table. People were worried about their ability to cater after so long in isolation! Message: In a pickle? We’ll get you out of it with a vast selection of grocery and alcohol products, delivered instantly. TA: 18-35 YOs in metro regions. Assets: Robust third-party research and content were critical to shaping a legitimate story that could land across news, lifestyle and social feeds: 1: “National Pickle Day” stunt content: Stunning in-air photography and b-roll. 2: “FOHPO” news story: Forget FOMO, nationwide research revealed a new cultural phenomenon – the Fear of Having People Over. Audio grabs from psychologist spokesperson distributed to radio. 3: On platform: Dedicated tile & 50% limited-time

Describe the PR execution (20% of vote)

Implementation: 14 November – 19 November The stunt was the centrepiece of a multi-pronged PR execution, designed to create multiple opportunities for different media: 1:Stunt on National Pickle Day. -Sydney metro and national newsdesks captured the stunt live. -On-site interviews with Lucas Groeneveld, Regional GM, Retail and Grocery. -Asset package dispatched within 2 hours to hit evening bulletins. -Dedicated influencer content from Alright, Hey! supported by Owned coverage. 2:FOHPO news story. -Research-led story delivered via national sell-in focusing on consumer lifestyle, food and drink, radio. -Pre-pitched first-run online exclusive with Mail Online for maximum reach. -Partnered with psychologist Sabina Read to generate higher volume and quality interview opportunities. -Seven radio interviews plus pre-recorded audio grabs for blanket radio coverage, picked up by the likes of KIIS, Nova FM, Gold, Mix, SBS, 3AW. 3:Promotion Pitching: Maximised 50% limited time offer via dedicated media pitches driving urgency before the deal ran out.

List the results (30% of vote)

Tier 1: - Coverage KPIs exceeded by 565% (233 pieces of media coverage vs KPI of 35), with a reach of 87.2million - 82% tier 1 outlets, with highlights including a 5+ minute segment on Sky News, TV coverage on 9 News across two days, a national syndication on news.com.au and Mail Online and coverage on ABC’s primetime entertainment show ‘The Gruen Transfer’. - Strategic in-depth interviews conducted with B2B sites including RetailBiz, Convenience World and Mumbrella, cementing Uber Eats’ vision as the home of groceries - 95% positive sentiment across print, TV, online and social coverage - 89% key message penetration across print, TV, online and social coverage - 63% of coverage appeared in Uber Eats’ key markets: NSW, VIC or nationally Tier 2: Awareness: - 29% increase in coverage clips for Uber Eats (Month on Month: October to November) New Customer acquisition: - 44% of orders on 14-15 November were from first time grocery users, demonstrating the two key days of earned media coverage directly contributed to consideration and conversion Tier 3: Brand reputation: - Score KPI exceeded by 266% (increase of 11 points MOM vs KPI of 3 points from October to November) on Meltwater Gross Sales impact: - First orders were up 200% WoW - Gross bookings were up 242% WoW - The average basket size was 74% up from the previous week - One merchant had a 420% WoW gross booking uplift