When Tom Cardy got the call from Uber to star in a new campaign, created in partnership with Special, he didn’t expect to share the screen with Shania Twain.
The comedian-musician, best known for his absurdist viral songs, said the experience was as surreal as it was fun.
“It was crazy,” Cardy told Variety AU/NZ. “Uber got onto me and said, ‘Do you want to work with us?’ I said, ‘Okay, what have you got?’ Then they asked if I wanted to write a song, and the answer to that is almost always yes.”
At first, he didn’t know who he’d be collaborating with.
“They kept saying, ‘We have someone cool we want you to work with,’ but wouldn’t tell me who,” he recalled.
“Then they said I might have to fly to Canada, so I was like, okay, it’s either Justin Bieber or Shania Twain. And I knew which one I wanted it to be.”
Creative chemistry behind the campaign
Cardy’s hunch turned out to be right.
After a virtual meeting with Twain, he found himself directing her vocal takes from behind the screen. “I was literally saying, ‘Sing a bit more like this,’ and she was just incredible. She gets everything in one take.”
The ad, filmed in Canada, features Cardy and Twain performing in a car – plus a double of Cardy for comic effect. “It was like being on a road trip for eight hours with Shania Twain,” he joked. “You’re constantly like, ‘Oh, sorry, can you scoot up a bit?’”
Despite the odd pairing, Cardy said the collaboration clicked instantly.
Twain added harmonies to his original demo, with minimal changes to his composition. “It’s incredible to work with someone that adds so much to something,” he said.
A first foray into brand work
The Uber spot marks Cardy’s first brand campaign – and one that stayed true to his distinct musical style.
“They knew what they were getting with me,” he said. “They weren’t going to ask me to change it from what I can do really well. And that’s what makes a good collaboration, when you get someone to work with you and you just facilitate them doing what they do best.”
For Cardy, the campaign’s mix of humour, music, and self-awareness fits perfectly.
“I think my fans will love it,” he said. “They’ve just seen me in my room making silly videos, and now suddenly I’m dancing in a car with Shania Twain. It’s just fun, weird shit for them to enjoy.”
As for what’s next, Cardy hinted that the 60-second song might not be the end of it. “I’d love to,” he said. “Let’s get this ad into the [triple j] Hottest 100, then maybe we can convince Uber to make part two.”