Gareth T Levitates Above a Restaurant, Sings with Doves in Latest for Uber Hong Kong

Uber and Special have launched a new Hong Kong campaign starring acclaimed Cantopop singer-songwriter Gareth T, giving him a second chance to finish the love confession his hit song never let him complete.

In a city where every minute counts, many Hongkongers still spend valuable time standing on the street trying to hail a taxi. Uber's new platform, 'Keep Doing What You Do', shows that once you've booked your ride, those few minutes before it arrives are yours to use.

Celia Garforth, Special chief strategy officer, Asia, said, “As Hong Kong's ride-hailing category matures, Uber's focus has shifted from competing with street-hailing to demonstrating the broader benefits of e-hailing.

"This new platform shows how the certainty of knowing when your ride will arrive gives people the freedom to make the most of every minute."

The hero film takes inspiration from Gareth T's hit song 早到的u (Your Ride Is Here), where an early-arriving Uber cuts short his romantic confession. In the ad, Uber gave Gareth a second chance, and three uninterrupted minutes before his ride arrived to finally say everything he never got to say.

What begins as a heartfelt confession quickly escalates into full Cantopop spectacle. Brought to life by Sweetshop director Jesse James McElroy, the ad culminates in Gareth levitating above the restaurant, singing in the rain, flanked by doves and wielding a sword.

"It was a lot of fun to build on a song about Uber that Hong Kong already knew and loved," Special chief creative officers Lisa Fedyszyn and Jonathan McMahon explained, "Rewriting it with renowned Hong Kong lyricist Wyman Wong, and turning it into an Uber campaign was delightfully meta.

"Underneath it all is a simple benefit: when you know when your ride is expected to arrive, those three minutes are yours to use however you want."

Uber Mobility Hong Kong. head of marketing Toga Leung added, "This shift in strategy comes at the perfect time for Uber Hong Kong.

"We love how, at its core, this platform and the launch campaign speaks to a cultural value that resonates so strongly with Hongkongers: efficiency and the smart use of time. And working with such a cultural star like Gareth T was the perfect way to launch."

The campaign also includes two further films showing everyday Hongkongers maximising the three-minutes before their Uber arrives. It’s just enough time for a woman to sneak in a quick ‘huff’ of her cat, or for a dad to sprint through the house switching off everything before the family heads to the airport.

Special creative directors James Sexton and Harry Neville-Towle said, "This platform opens up endless opportunities for entertainment. We loved exploring all the real - and completely ridiculous -- things Hongkongers suddenly have ‘just enough time to do’ before their Uber arrives… especially the art of cat huffing."

The campaign launches with a 60“ hero film, supported by 30” and 15” edits, bespoke social content, contextual creative, OOH, online video, and digital audio.