Uber Backseat Arcade

Australians believe that driving equals freedom. But while most Aussies have used Uber, the majority use it infrequently and rely on their cars for more than 80% of trips. 

We needed to celebrate the joy of being driven, in line with the brand promise: “Can't do that if you're driving".

Analysis of Uber’s light users revealed that while they were 7% more likely to be playing video games than scrolling through social media at home compared to the average Aussie. But put them in an Uber and doomscrolling takes over.

To stop this happening, we gave them access to classic, addictive games through the Uber Backseat Arcade, transforming the passive trip screen into a proprietary gaming console.

Only available when you were in an Uber, passengers were also able to unlock discounts on future trips by playing our games.

We promoted the scheme via Discord, in-game Display & Video formats, OOH and screens across New South Wales, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.

In just two weeks, we ignited engagement, captivating 20K active users with a phenomenal 78% engagement rate, 4x times higher than benchmarks.