News Corp rebadges Sunday Telegraph + Sunday Herald Sun in Uber move via Special Group – offers free UBER rides to anyone named Sam
![Sam Day Herald Sun[1].jpg](https://asset-cdn.campaignbrief.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/05094217/Sam20Day20Herald20Sun5B15D.jpg)
Australia’s two biggest selling newspapers today rebadged their mastheads for a day in partnership with UBER.
The Sunday Telegraph and Sunday Herald Sun changed their front page mastheads to the Sam Day Telegraph and Sam Day Herald Sun for UBER’s brand new above the line creative campaign created by The Special Group, Sydney, offering a national incentive of free UBER rides to anyone named Sam for a week.
The masthead change is a first for the Sunday Herald Sun, and a second for The Sunday Telegraph. The campaign goal was to ensure UBER’s message was amplified with an initial launch audience of almost two million Sunday paper readers.
Says Head of Print Innovation Zac Skulander: “We needed an innovative way to answer a strong brief and a really great initiative. It is a very compelling offer for our readers and subscribers, and a unique opportunity to demonstrate the flexibility of our print brands.”
UBER’s analytics revealed Sam, or variations of Sam, was the most popular name in their database, and decided it would be great to reward them for one week with free UBER rides up to the value of $20 per day.
Mick Carroll, editor of The Sunday Telegraph and Nick Papps, editor of the Sunday Herald Sun both agreed the unique, fun, campaign would resonate with their readers.
Adds Andrew Da Silva of MediaCom: “We’re so excited about this campaign because it truly connects a compelling offer from UBER with the readers of the leading newspapers in the country, brilliant creative work from The Special Group, integrated PR from One Green Bean and News Corp and, of course, supported by paid media. This is an awesome example of connected paid, owned and earned media.”
In addition to rebranding the front page mastheads, the campaign investment includes a full page ad on page two of both Sunday papers – designed as a letter from UBER explaining the concept – eight different strip ads in prominent placements throughout the Sunday papers and newsagent posters provided nationally.
The PR campaign has engaged Sam-bassadors including Sam Frost and Sam Wood to get behind the week posting messages and images to their personal networks, and the digital marketing and social media campaign will share photos, videos and ads with the hashtags #FreeRidesWeek and #AskSamAU, with much of the investment targeting people named Sam as well as asking people to tag a friend called Sam.
8 Comments
Worst idea ever. No actually, it’s pretty shite and not because I’m not called Sam. Feels more like the planners went a straight to the client without bothering to stop in the creative department. That, or the Special suits ‘think they’re creative too’.
@ Dave
Get a life mate, it’s a simple idea which actually helps people. Instead of making a immature comment why don’t you go take a good hard look at yourself. Or, better yet, go talk to someone named Sam, Im sure they’ll have something positive to say.
Shame on the newspapers for selling out. Shame on Special for a first-thought and frankly lame idea (I’m with @Dave – surely no creative has touched this?). Shame on the client for not demanding better.
Don’t PR this filth.
I’m just going to say WOW. You take it how you will.
Way to piss off every Uber user in Australia whose name is not a version of Sam
Saw this on the weekend and thought it was shit, and made no sense. And now, even armed with the press release, I still don’t.
You’ve got lots of customers name Sam. Great, but who gives a fuck? And why does anyone other than those named Sam care/care they’re getting a free ride?
Please tell me this wasn’t it.
… but, DATA!!!