Mad Max: Fury Road was one of the most exhilarating films ever made. The balls-to-the-wall-action which included massive explosions, car chases and chaos, all done with mostly practical effects, made it a transcendent movie-going experience. Warner Brothers tried to bring that experience to real life, as they partnered with the ride share company Uber to offer limited edition rides from Mad Max like post-apocalyptic vehicles in a promotion for the film’s upcoming video game.
The promotion took place in downtown Seattle between August 28th to the 31st. The limited edition service operated like Uber’s normal one, except instead of requesting an UberX, you requested Mad Max. The trips took passengers anywhere they wanted in downtown Seattle as “The Wasteland is vast and gas is precious—the Warboys must remain near their Stronghold.” There was no cost required either for the trip either, as money was “worthless in the Wasteland. Payment shall not be required.”
I know if I was to get a trip from one of these vehicles, the first thing I would do is post about it on social media. Thankfully, some passengers did just that and gave us a better look at the promotional vehicles.
Witness these Mad Max Uber cars in Seattle pic.twitter.com/vjyCcnXVLE
— flint: MGS5/COUCHCON (@flintmech) August 30, 2015
Dude just yelled "Witness me!" as he hopped into his not-at-all dissonant Mad Max Uber at PAX. #brands pic.twitter.com/Z6oMYWzRTh
— Evan Lahti (@ELahti) August 30, 2015
Me and @ISpeakTetris had a ride in the Mad Max Uber pic.twitter.com/8tYw8jQp46
— Mike Cosimano (@MikeCosimano) August 31, 2015
While it’s all ultimately a ploy to get people to buy the Mad Max video game, this is really impressive marketing. They brought the world of Mad Max to life (even if it’s as an Uber vehicle) and didn’t charge people to ride in them. Anyone who is even remotely a fan of the film would want a chance to ride one of these monsters. Well done Warner Brothers.