MELBOURNE - If Ron Burgundy directed an ad, this Uber Carshare ad in Australia with Valtteri Bottas, the Finnish racing legend, would be it. It’s safe to say Bottas fully embraces what it means to be an Aussie, customising his ‘second’ car for a perfect Australian road trip.

When not racing Valtteri spends his time travelling Australia, so he knows firsthand what the ultimate road trip car needs. Bottas says, “This is a beautiful country and Aussies have welcomed me with open arms. I want to repay this love by loaning them my ‘second’ car – the ultimate road trip car – while I’m busy racing my first car.” 

And he’s thought of everything. 

What are the specs of Valtteri Bottas’ ‘second’ car? Well, you’ve got the fresh water shower, roof racks and fishing rod holders, the all important meat pie oven, the lazy passenger neck pillow (for all those roadtrip miles), kookaburra horn (of course), budgie smuggler clothesline (nice), bike rack, built-in thong storage and working fridge, B.R.S - Bug reduction system (good thinking, Bottas), mullet aeration technology and that driver’s arm tan protection!

THE AD

Commenting on his ‘second’ car, Bottas says, “All modifications in the ute have been carefully considered to make sure it has everything an Aussie could need for a road trip…I hope you all love this car as much as I do. It’s an absolute pride and joy.”

Perhaps one of the most impressive aspects of the ad is how rapidly it took from ideation to execution. 

On his first campaign for Uber Carshare Tom Walter, Head of Brand Marketing explains, “Get Valtteri Bottas, a very famous F1 racing driver and adopted Aussie, to put his ultimate road trip 'Second Car,' on Uber Carshare while he's busy racing his first car at the Australian Grand Prix. Sounds solid right? We're talking sign-off to execution in under two months. We're talking about shooting to final dispatch in three days. We're talking war room-style media pitching.”

Walter worked in partnership with his in-house colleagues, Ashley Martin, Bonnie Ko and Adam Ledbury. On working with his team, Walter says, “You absolutely killed it from woe to go across creative (Jessica Cluff), production (Hattie Morgan), car customisation and comms (Erica Llorico, Robbie Purcell Rhania Farah at Poem). Josh Logue, you directed and edited a masterpiece.”

He says, “Hello Social brought some sensational influencer extension ideas to the table. And EssenceMediacom flexed a few rules for us to get this live in paid ASAP.”

So, one week in what are the stats? 

Just considering the combined efforts of Bottas and Uber Carshare’s social feeds —

- Uber Carshare on YouTube: 515K

- Bottas x Uber Carshare on Instagram: 17.3M plus an additional 8.6M on associated reels. 

- Bottas on TikTok: 1.1M, plus 82K on his second takes

- Uber on LinkedIn: 427 reactions, 17 reposts 

Uber Carshare Second takes on Bottas’ TikTok

F1 got involved, shared this TikTok ahead of filming

Uber Carshare (previously Car Next Door) Co-founder, Will Davies, said “We know Aussies love to get away during the Easter long weekend and school holidays, but their first car may not be adequate for their plans – perhaps it’s too small to fit a bunch of mates in the back, doesn’t have roof racks, or simply does not have the amenities you need for a trip up to the mountains. That’s where Uber Carshare comes in. We’re Australia’s home of second cars – over ten thousand road-trip-worthy cars available across Australia and bookable in minutes.”

Valterri’s ‘second’ car is available to hire from Friday, 22 March until Friday, 12 April 2024 in Melbourne.

The results speak for themselves. It's a testament to the power of effective branding and strategic partnerships.

As Bottas' 'second' car hits the roads of Melbourne, it symbolises not just a vehicle for hire but a symbol of shared experiences and the spirit of adventure. 

Congratulations Tom and the team on a job well done.

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