Uber Eats has launched a new campaign for its Ding Dong Deals value platform across Australia and New Zealand, featuring AFL commentator Matt Richardson, cricket identity Ian Smith, and former AFL star Adam Goodes reacting to deal alerts with involuntary expletives.
The campaign, developed with creative agency Special and media agency EssenceMediacom, broke on 29 June across TV, broadcast and subscription video on demand (BSVOD), online video, social, audio, out-of-home (OOH), and CRM channels.
Deals meet the commentary box
The creative concept centres on Ding Dong Deal notifications arriving at inopportune moments – triggering unfiltered reactions from the talent mid-broadcast and in public settings. Richardson drops an expletive in a commentary box, Smith features in a customer service scenario gone off-script, and Goodes reacts from a local pub setting.
Holly Dover, marketing manager for delivery at Uber Eats ANZ, said the campaign drew on the emotional register of live sport. “The best sporting moments spark an immediate reaction. Ding Dong Deals tap into that same sense of excitement, delivering unexpected value that’s worthy of a reaction of its own.”
Simon Gibson and Nils Eberhardt, executive creative directors at Special, said: “Like the deals, this campaign was made to be [DING DONG] attention-grabbing. Hopefully nobody watches it while standing near a hot mic.”
Special and Uber Eats at Cannes
The campaign arrives as the Special–Uber Eats partnership sits at the top of the industry conversation.
Last week, Special Australia and Special US won Australia’s first-ever Media Grand Prix at the 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for the Build Your Own Super Bowl Commercial campaign – work that transformed the Uber Eats app into an interactive entertainment platform during the Super Bowl, allowing users to create ads featuring Hollywood celebrities while unlocking offers.
Media Lions Jury President Sindhuja Rai described it as “modern marketing at its most transformative.” The campaign also picked up Gold in the Direct Lions and contributed to record-breaking Super Bowl sales for Uber Eats.
Media placement and extensions
The Australian execution will run as part of Uber Eats’ broadcast sponsorship of AFL coverage on the Seven Network. The New Zealand version will air across the Rugby Championship.
Additional content will extend the campaign on social media, with talent livestreams and influencer integrations. Dynamic OOH placements and animated social films will support the rotating deals mechanic.
The campaign was directed by Adam Gunser through production company Good Oil, with post-production handled by Arc and audio by Mosaic Music & Sound.