AKQA: Uber’s Watch it to Ride

With entertainment at our fingertips, it's easier than ever to stay glued to the sofa. But in Brazil, where the spirit of “bora marcar” (let’s plan it) runs deep, Uber saw an opportunity to flip that habit on its head – by using screen time to spark real-life experiences.

Enter “Watch it to Ride” – a clever, AI-powered activation that rewards viewers for catching a single word: bora. Whenever a character in a film or series says it, viewers can message the title to a WhatsApp bot and earn an Uber ride discount. The more you spot, the more you save – with tiered rewards of 30%, 50% or even 100% off.

The tech behind it is just as smart as the insight. AI scans thousands of titles across streaming platforms, mapping out every bora moment down to the second. A dedicated plug-in automates this detection, while a human review layer ensures accuracy. This data is then fed into a WhatsApp Business bot, which verifies entries and instantly delivers discount vouchers.

It’s all part of Uber’s broader “Let’s Plan It” campaign, Bora Marcar, which playfully nods to the national pastime of endlessly planning meetups that never happen. By flipping that insight, “Watch it to Ride” encourages people to actually go – to stop saying “bora” and start living it.

This cultural twist hit home. The campaign tapped into a common habit with a tech-first solution that felt familiar and fun. By meeting users in their comfort zone – on streaming platforms and WhatsApp – Uber turned passive viewing into a reason to reconnect and reimagine mobility.

A seamless blend of cultural insight, entertainment and technology, “Watch it to Ride” shows that the journey can start right from the couch – you just need the right cue.