Brian Cox may have conquered the boardroom in Succession, but now he’s claimed the quad. “Brian Cox Goes to College,” Uber One’s debut campaign for its student membership offering, took home the Humor award at the 2025 AICP Awards, honoring outstanding creativity and craft in commercial production.
The campaign, created by Special US and directed by David Shane of O Positive, showcases Cox in a new light — prowling a college campus with commanding authority and a singular purpose: to school undergrads on saving money (and skipping class) with Uber One for Students.
Edited by Union Editorial’s Graham Turner, with support from editors Justin “Q” Quagliata, Joe Hughes, and Julia Armine, the spot strikes the perfect tone — dry, sharp, and slightly absurd, yet grounded in real brand messaging. Lillian Ghodoushim produced for Union.
In the ad, Cox glides past dorms and dining halls with the same intensity he once reserved for board meetings. Only this time, he’s focused on the important things: discounted tacos, lattes, and late-night cravings. His trademark glower delivers the punchlines, while the narration walks the fine line between satire and sincerity.
“At 78, Brian Cox is showing students how it’s done—cutting through the chaos of college life with his signature deadpan and a smoothie in hand,” said Gordy Sang, Co-Chief Creative Officer at Special. “This spot is funny because it’s grounded in truth: college students love convenience, savings, and a little rebellion. So does Brian.”
The campaign marks Uber’s first major push behind its student-focused membership tier and reflects a broader shift toward using celebrity storytelling with bite. Cox, fresh off his Emmy-winning run on Succession, brings an air of gravitas and comedic timing that elevates the creative.
The production team behind the spot includes O Positive’s David Shane and EPs Ralph Laucella and Marc Grill, with production design by David Lee and cinematography by Christopher Sabogal. Post-production was handled by Framestore, with color by Ethos Studio and sound design by Eleven Sound. Music supervision came from Radish Music.
The win adds another notch to a successful run for Special US, which continues to turn heads with creative that blends cultural relevance with sharp humor.
For Uber, the campaign signals a strategic effort to capture Gen Z with storytelling that’s relatable, meme-ready, and impossible to ignore. For the industry, it’s a reminder that smart casting, sharp writing, and tight editing can still deliver the kind of comedy that cuts through — and wins big.
CREDITS:
BRAND: Uber
- Vice President, Global Marketing: David Mogensen
- Global Executive Creative Director: Danielle Hawley
- Head of Marketing, North America: Georgie Jeffreys
- Head of Integrated Marketing Campaigns, North America: Liza Keller
- Marketing Lead: Romy Moeller
- Global Creative Lead: Ecole Weinstein
- Senior Marketing Manager: Liv Coe
- Social & Digital Marketing Lead: Kaitlyn Mendoza
- Global Copywriter: Sydney Lindsay
- Director of Communications: Becky Katz Davis
AGENCY: Special US
- Partner / Chief Creative Officer: Matthew Woodhams-Roberts
- Partner / Chief Creative Officer: Dave Horton
- Partner / CEO: Kelsey Hodgkin
- Partner / Chief Production Officer: Vic Palumbo
- Creative Director: Alice Blastorah
- Creative Director: Josh Hacohen
- Associate Creative Director: Laura Beck
- Associate Creative Director: Ryan Siepert
- Senior Designer: Charmaine Cheng
- Senior Producer: Nat Bricker
- General Manager: Lily Waters
- Senior Account Director: Bella Timar
- Management Supervisor: Sarah Newton
- Group Strategy Director: Janet Shih
- Creative Operations Manager: Bryn Wensley
PRODUCTION COMPANY: O-Positive
- Director: David Shane
- Executive Producers: Ralph Laucella, Marc Grill
- Producer: Nell Jordan
- Director of Photography: Christopher Sabogal
- Production Design: David Lee
EDIT: Union Editorial LA
- Lead Editor: Graham Turner
- 2nd Editors: Justin Quagliata, Joe Hughes
- Assistant Editor: Julia Armine
- Producer: Lillian Ghodoushim
- Head of Production: Dani DuHadway Spagnoli
- Managing Director: Michael Raimondi
FINISH: Framestore
- Comp Supervisor / Online Flame Lead: Matt Dobrez
- Comp Artists: Carlos Adarraga Gomez, Toby Brockhurst, Jason Gottlieb, Attilio Bonelli, JinHee Aloi, Yachan Yuan Mon
- Executive Producer: Brittney Walker
- Senior Producer: Andrew McLintock
- Production Coordinator: Jackie Wingo
COLOR: Ethos Studio
- Colorist: Kaitlyn Battistelli
- Color Assists: Annie Cater, Alexandra Makarenko
- Producer: Nat Tereshchenko
- Head of Production: Natasha Sattler
SOUND: Eleven Sound
- Sound Designer / Mixer: Jordan Meltzer
- Senior Producer: Andrew Smith
Music Supervision: Radish Music
- Supervisors: Peymon Maskan, Alec Stern, Gemma Schladow
- Track: A Tribute To Johann Sebastian – The Swingle Singers
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