Why Uber’s green pub move was marketing savvy

London’s first carbon-negative pub, named 55k Tonnes, was opened by Uber for three days this week to show how green pubs could be.

The pop-up pub, which had been positioned to help showcase and celebrate the 55,000 tonnes of air pollution saved by Uber using electric cars since 2021, was based at The Speaker on Great Peter Street in London’s Westminster.

Inside, visitors to the pub could find carbon-saving technologies like Pavegen flooring, which could transform footsteps into electrical power, as well as power bikes for pub goers to ride to assist in generating electricity used while they were there.

Speaking on social media platform X about the venture, a spokesperson for Uber highlighted how: “London has become Uber’s global EV capital, with nearly 30% of Uber miles in London being driven by electric vehicles.”

As such, the Uber pop-up set out to show how things could move on and also illustrate how useful and planet-friendly London could become. Its presence also offered an insight into urban spaces and how they could be used differently while still serving drinks and encouraging social activities.

During the pop-up, 55k Tonnes exclusively stocked carbon-neutral pints of Swell beer from Gipsy Hill Brewery and hosted a happy hour from 5.50pm that helped to encourage people not to travel during the rush hour.

Guests to the venue also benefited from a 55% discount on any Uber Green rides from the pub to take them home.

The venture secured Uber a generous share of interest across all social platforms for what was heralded as a forward-thinking way of showing how urban socialising could evolve to suit next generation consumers.

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