Uber HK and Omelette Digital’s Airport Code War starts rivalry among the 18 districts
With the peak travel season fast approaching, Uber HK has partnered with Omelette Digital Hong Kong to unveil the “Airport Code War” – a two-week interactive social stunt that highlights the travel challenges faced by Hong Kongers from different districts heading to the airport.
The campaign kicked off with a pseudo-authentic Instagram Reel featuring local celebrity Neo Yau, who humorously lamented his hassle-filled journey to the airport as he prepared to head to Taiwan for the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival. Expressing his frustration and solidarity with local travellers, he pledged to liaise with Uber HK to secure promotional codes for consumers.
The following day, Yau announced that he had successfully secured 5,000 promo codes from Uber HK and was officially launching the Airport Code War. The battlefield took place on a newly opened Instagram Page, where residents from all 18 districts of Hong Kong could vote for their own neighbourhood in the competition for geo-located promo codes. Humorous content tailored to each district was also released to resonate with the audience.
The campaign was infused with a series of thrilling plot twists and surprises over the two-week period. Notably, a playful rivalry erupted within Yau’s production company, Trial and Error, as key members Hui Yin and So Chi Ho — supporters of the Kwun Tong District — publicly declared war against Yau, who was backing the Tuen Mun District.
More social influencers joined the battle, rallying support for their own neighbourhoods and encouraging residents to vote and compete for the promo codes. Two rally events were staged to enhance awareness and ignite discussions on social media, leading to vast amount of shares across multiple local district Facebook groups.
Eric Ling, Demand Growth Lead at Uber HK, said: “December stands as the peak month for airport activity with the highest volume of both inbound and outbound traffic. This promo-driven campaign enables us to influence riders’ decisions when selecting their mode of transportation to the airport.”
Andrea Choi, Creative Director at Omelette Digital, said: “It all started with a simple local insight, and it has been a rewarding experience to leverage Hong Kongers’ affection for their districts and witness the unfolding of this fun-filled battle. For us, this campaign feels like an experiment – anything could have happened despite our meticulous planning and intensive research. We cannot thank the client enough for the unwavering trust.”
The Airport Code War concluded on December 18, with Sha Tin District emerging victorious and securing 2,500 50% off promo codes. But this is not the end of the story, as Uber HK has also released 15,000 25% promo codes as a merit reward for all Hong Kongers who are going to have a vacation in the imminent travel season.
