Octopus Uses Shark Week To Promote Philo in Ride Share Cars

Octopus Interactive Philo Shark Week
Octopus' campaign for Philo let passengers watch Shark Week programmign (Image credit: Octopus Interactive)

Octopus Interactive, which runs ads on screens inside Uber and Lyft vehicles, mounted a campaign using Discovery’s Shark Week to promote the Philo streaming TV service.

The campaign, which used Octopus’ new Tune in Takeover interactive video format, served up 3.5 million impressions to riders.

Some of those riders bit on the campaign and followed up for more information about Philo, which carries more than 60 channels, including Discovery, for $25 per month.

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“We’re very pleased with the high click-through rates and engagement we’ve seen by leveraging rideshare advertising and using the Octopus ‘Tune in Takeover’,” said Emily Mosbacher, director of brand and partner marketing at Philo. “Octopus puts Philo in front of rideshare passengers and potential customers and allows them to interact with Philo and our content. We’re thrilled to build brand awareness through Octopus and are already planning our next campaign with their team.”

The Philo campaign ran July 12 through July 18 in 42 markets. 

Octopus’ Tune in Takeover format lets passengers select from a variety of short preview videos from media advertisers.

For the Philo promotion, passengers could watch Shark Week content featuring different species, such as makos, porbeagles or great whites.

“Our new ‘Tune in Takeover’ ad format for media advertisers gives rideshare passengers the opportunity to lean back and enjoy extended content of their choosing,” said Mikea Granberry, director of business development at Octopus. “Rideshare advertising delivers a captive, desirable audience, and we’re thrilled with the results we’re seeing with Philo and our other media partners.”

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.