For its most recent ride, Lyft hired Tilda Swinton and Jordan Peele as driver and passenger (respectively) and sent them on a fictional journey, part of the “It Matters How You Get There” campaign, powered by Wieden & Kennedy New York.
One month ago, the campaign’s first ad featured Jeff Bridges traveling somewhere along the Oregon Trail in the 19th century. Spotted riding a horse carriage, the actor explores the evolution of transportation and highlights the importance of who we share our rides with. But what matters the most is how we get to our destination.
The second phase of the initiative delivers the same tagline, only this time, the ride is set in space. The storyline features a moment that happened in 1971 and coincides with the time when NASA expanded the Apollo program to better explore the moon.
The cosmic crew is portrayed by the Hollywood stars who point out in a series of amusing spots, directed by Noam Murro of Biscuit Filmworks, the ridiculous – yet inevitable – conversations that pop up between traveling companions during a very long journey. The campaign includes a 30-second TV spot, but the real delight of the project comes from a series of 15-second social media films.
The main video opens with Peele saying that if there weren’t drivers, Moon landing couldn’t have been possible; mankind would not have made that big step, nor would we have enjoyed “free, tiny water bottles.” Swinton nods her head in an affirmative gesture and continues the idea by saying that if you opt for a “ride with the right people, who do things for the right reasons, you’ll always end up in the right place.” After all, it does not matter where you have to go, it’s important how you get there.
Lyft’s campaign theme alludes to the negative publicity that its competitor Uber is facing lately. Without mentioning the name of its rival, Lyft took advantage of its opponent’s weakness and ranked itself as a top ride-sharing company, suggesting that it delivers better services.
As for the social media videos, the New York-based agency chose to spice up the 70s scenario with some fun and modern-looking actions. For example, the Sunglasses video sees Peele asking Swinton to turn back on land, as he forgot to take his glasses. We do not know if they are on their way back to Earth yet, but the navigation feature might help them: “In one hundred light years, turn left at the second meteor shower.”
Being stuck on a long journey for more than three months, the protagonists weren’t able to see The Game, nor charge the Phone. And as the current generation has become accustomed to: long trips should not lack good music. So start your voyage with Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit in the Sky” hit, or listen to it on the spaceship’s radio.
Much simpler, you can watch the videos below and enjoy all these things alongside the two stars because, you know… it really matters how you get to your destination!
Credits:
Client: Lyft
Agency: Wieden & Kennedy