
Choosing the best advertiser of the year is never easy, but 2024 proved to be particularly challenging. With brands stepping up their creativity across multiple platforms, the competition was fierce. After much debate and countless rewatches of this year’s most innovative and entertaining spots, one brand stood out: Uber and its Uber Eats and Uber One subsidiaries.
Their bold, imaginative advertising and partnership with their agencies including LA-based agency Special US and ReThink, earned them the title of Creative Marketer of 2024.
Uber’s campaigns this year weren’t just good—they were laugh-out-loud, roll-on-the-floor funny. At the heart of their creative triumph was the first-ever campaign for Uber One for Students, which featured Succession star Brian Cox in a hilariously unexpected role as a 78-year-old college “student.”
Cox wasn’t here for the degree or the campus experience—he came for the unbeatable discounts on tacos, lattes, and rides. Majoring in smoothies and minoring in pizza, Cox brought deadpan humor and impeccable timing to the ads, making them some of the funniest spots in recent memory.
But Uber wasn’t content with just one hit. They embraced seasonal scares with their Halloween campaign, “Don’t Let Halloween Sneak Up On You,” created with agency Rethink and directed by Jeff Low.
The campaign blended horror-inspired visuals with dark humor, highlighting Uber Eats’ ability to deliver last-minute candy, costumes, and party supplies right to your door—with discounts of up to 50%. It was a perfect blend of spooky and practical, tapping into the chaos of holiday shopping with a knowing wink.
In another creative stroke, Uber’s in-house team unveiled “On Our Way,” a global campaign for the Paris Olympics featuring iconic tracks like Lou Reed’s Perfect Day and The Beatles’ I Want to Hold Your Hand. The nostalgic montage paired these classics with scenes of community and accessibility, underscoring Uber’s commitment to delivering food and transportation seamlessly, even during one of the world’s most hectic events.
Then there was their playful Super Bowl teaser featuring David and Victoria Beckham, which cleverly parodied moments from their Netflix series. Their banter, including hilariously misnaming Jennifer Aniston as “Jessica Aniston,” created buzz for what promises to be a memorable ad during the Big Game.
And let’s not forget the brilliance of Matthew McConaughey’s football-as-food conspiracy theory, which connected gameday snacks to Uber Eats in a uniquely Texan way, with an assist from NFL star Christian McCaffrey.
During the holidays, Uber leaned into the festive spirit with a heartwarming and quirky campaign featuring Macaulay Culkin ordering Uber Carolers through Uber Eats, proving they could deliver joy alongside food. Across every campaign, Uber consistently pushed boundaries, took risks, and connected with audiences in unexpected and deeply entertaining ways.
From turning Brian Cox into the ultimate college mascot to conspiracy theories about the NFL , Uber has demonstrated an unrelenting commitment to innovation and storytelling. It’s this fearless creativity, combined with their ability to make us laugh, think, and—yes—order more takeout than we’d like to admit, that solidifies Uber’s place as Creative Marketer of the Year.

Colin Costello is the West Coast Editor of Reel 360. Contact him at colin@reel360.com or follow him on Twitter at @colinthewriter1
REELated:
2024 in Review: From Hawk Tuah to Trump