Uber is taking a different approach to St. Patrick’s Day marketing this year. Instead of encouraging revelers to stay out longer, the ride-sharing company is celebrating the moment people quietly slip away from the party.
Created with agency Mother New York, the new campaign titled “Uber IrishXit” leans into the widely known social move of leaving a gathering without saying goodbye. The concept plays on UberX while embracing the idea that sometimes the smartest move on St. Patrick’s Day is knowing when to call it a night.
Fronting the campaign is Irish reality star Maura Higgins. The effort launches with a 45-second film titled “Where’s Maura?” directed by Cameron Harris of Gravy Films.
In the spot, Higgins mysteriously disappears from the very commercial she is supposed to be starring in, leaving the production crew scrambling to find her while chaos unfolds on set. The twist reveals that Higgins has already left and is relaxing at home in a bubble bath. Watch below:
The idea grew out of the fact that St. Patrick’s Day celebrations can last a long time. Ana Montoya, strategist at Mother, said the team wanted to reflect the less glamorous side of the holiday.
“We knew it was important to acknowledge the realities of St. Patrick’s Day,” Montoya said. “Too often it’s painted as this magical day full of leprechauns and four-leaf clovers. But in reality, it’s less magic and more a 24-hour marathon with no end in sight.”
The campaign positions Uber as the perfect accomplice for that moment when someone decides they have had enough. “St. Patrick’s Day is typically all about the celebration, so leaning into the exit felt like a fresh and unexpected angle for us,” said Marisa Siegel, head of growth and engagement for mobility marketing at Uber. “The Irish exit is a widely recognized cultural behavior, and it created a fun, relatable way to remind people that Uber is a convenient, safe, and reliable way to get home.”
Siegel added that the brand enjoys embracing the role of a partner in those in-between moments.
“Uber will always be about getting people from A to B, but culturally we’re also part of the in between moments, whether it’s heading out, moving between spots or making the exit,” she said. “Leaning into that accomplice role lets us have a bit more of a playful edge.”
Mother creative director Zack Roif said Higgins brought exactly the right energy to the campaign. “Maura is someone who just does what she wants and feels like she can get away with almost anything, including leaving a commercial she was supposed to star in,” he said.
Roif also revealed that the bubble bath scene required some dedication from the reality star. “Maura actually sat in an actual bathtub with actual water for four full hours. I don’t think she even pruned.”
Beyond the hero film, the campaign includes two shorter spots, email and social content, digital out-of-home placements, and field marketing activations around Irish bars in cities including Orlando, Palm Beach, and Kansas City.
Rather than competing with the chaos of St. Patrick’s Day parties, Uber’s campaign offers something different. In a holiday dominated by invitations to keep going, the brand is making the quiet getaway the real celebration.
CREDITS:
BRAND: Uber
AGENCY: Mother, New York & Los Angeles
PRODUCTION COMPANY: Gravy Films
- Director: Cameron Harris
- Executive Producer: Brent Stoller
- Producer: Ally Gnesin
- Line Producer: Jon Messner
- Director of Photography: Corey Walter
- Production Designer: Joe Cardoni
- Wardrobe: Choo Choo Kim
- Makeup Artist: Karen Roy
- Hair Stylist: Christine Domaniecki
POST-PRODUCTIONS / VFX: Rare Medium
EDIT: Mackcut
- Editor: Brendan Hogan
- Executive Producer: Gina Pagano
- Producer: Kayla Robinson
MUSIC/SOUND: Mr. Bronx Audio, Butter
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