We tested the ad with a Dutch audience to see how well it landed. The results? A love-it-or-hate-it situation.
Some people found it fun and unconventional, while others were left confused or even annoyed.
And most importantly, many didn’t even realize it was for a food delivery service until the very end.
So, what went wrong? Let’s break it down.
Evaluating Uber Eats’ “Eerst Iets Lekkers” ad
Branding
Uber Eats surpassed the industry average in brand recall, with 56% of viewers recognizing the brand, compared to the 53% benchmark.
Branding was particularly strong in the first five seconds of the ad, with 58% brand recall. This is crucial, as most viewers skip ads as soon as they can. Early branding has a bigger impact on salience growth, helping viewers connect with the story and boosting engagement.
However, as the ad progressed, brand recognition slightly dipped. The brand could be integrated more consistently throughout the ad to maintain stronger recall.
Emotion
This ad aimed to be fun and entertaining, but the emotional response was pretty mixed. Only 47% of viewers reacted positively, which is below the 53% industry average, putting it in the bottom 29% of ads tested.
While many viewers found the humor in it, others described it as annoying, embarrassing, and cliché.
A major pain point? Frans Bauer’s involvement and the music. Some saw it as nostalgic and fun, but others felt it was too much or even irritating.
Need
Displaying customer need is where this ad struggles the most. Only 36% of viewers connected the ad with food delivery, placing it in the bottom 1% of tested ads for category linkage.
Many people didn’t even realize the ad was for a food delivery service until the very end–this is a major problem because Uber Eats isn’t strongly linked to the category yet.
While elements like food and packaging were present, the emphasis on Frans Bauer and the entertainment aspect ended up overshadowing the core message. To improve, Uber Eats should make sure that food delivery takes center stage, rather than being just a background detail.
Messaging
Among the ad’s key messages, “First something tasty” performed the best, with 57% recall, just above the 56% industry average.
However, other messages like “In one app” (26%) and “All your favorite dishes” (24%) fell far below expectations, showing that the messaging wasn’t consistently resonating with viewers.
To improve recall, Uber Eats should use more direct and repeated brand messaging, ensuring that the takeaway is unmistakable.
Instead of squeezing multiple messages into the ad, focusing on one or two strong, clear messages and reinforcing them throughout the spot would have a bigger impact.
Final thoughts
Uber Eats’ ad stands out, but it’s definitely polarizing. It offers entertainment and humor that some people really enjoy, but it doesn’t do a great job of communicating the food delivery message. As a result, it falls short in reinforcing Uber Eats’ core message.
Key wins:
✅ Strong brand recall in the first five seconds
✅ Engaging use of humor, music, and a cozy vibe
✅ "First something tasty" message landed well
Opportunities to improve:
⚡ Strengthen food delivery messaging to make it clearer
⚡ Reduce polarizing elements that alienate some viewers
⚡ Ensure consistent brand presence throughout the ad
In short? Uber Eats created a memorable ad, but not necessarily for the right reasons.
By refining its storytelling to keep food delivery front and center, it can turn an entertaining concept into an effective brand-building campaign.
Want to explore the full test results? Check them out on Behavio’s platform!
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