Kuala Lumpur, 12 December 2014 (Fri): For one day, and one day only, Uber, the mobile app which connects drivers to riders is orchestrating another one-of-a-kind “On Demand” event. This time, they have teamed up with German automobile manufacturer, Volkswagen as well as more than 50 local celebrities to bring Uber riders a very special experience, all for a good cause across 31 different charities. The ‘Uber Volkswagen Charity Drive With The Stars’ kicks off today – get driven and have fun bantering with some of your favourite local celebrities!
They grace billboards and magazine covers; dominate the silver screen and the radio waves – and now you may just get to see them in the flesh, and enjoy the comfort of being driven in the comfort of their favourite Volkswagen vehicles. Our favourite local celebrities have generously volunteered to drive on the Uber platform for a day to give riders a truly Uber experience while giving back to an array of good causes. The total donation collected by each of these celebrity drivers will then be matched by both Uber and Volkswagen and be donated to their selected charity – bringing an extra injection of joy to those in need during the festive period.
The celebrities involved in this ‘Uber Volkswagen Charity Drive With The Stars’ initiative include Sazzy Falak, Ean Nasrun & Jinnyboy, Afdlin Shauki, Joyce Wong, Yasmin Hani, Lisa Surihani, Dynas Mokhtar, Sheena Liam, Reshmonu, Phat Fabes, JJ – Red FM, Moots Shuvit, Sarah Lian and many, many more. Not all are driving alone, you may just get lucky and get two or three celebrity stars for your ride!
“To show our appreciation to our loyal Uber riders, we decided on an on demand event where all parties could get involved in the spirit of giving with the simple press of a button. We are expecting a fun filled day which will be memorable for both the celebrity drivers and the riders” said Lakshmi Patmarajah, Head of Marketing for Uber Malaysia.
All celebrities will be on the roads and driving for an average of 4 -5 hours each, starting at 9:30am today, till about 4:30pm. The cars that they will be driving will be a Volkswagen model of their choice, which include the following models; Scirocco, Tiguan, Touareg, Beetle, Polo, Passat, Golf, Jetta and Cross Touran.
Mr Armin Keller, Managing Director, Volkswagen Group Malaysia said, “We are more than a mobility provider. Volkswagen takes pride as a responsible corporate citizen. We are excited with this collaborative initiative with Uber and to spread some cheer this festive season.”
Fret not about your safety, as the celebrities were given the chance to get used to their cars a few days before the actual event and full Uber partner driver training was provided to them by the relevant dedicated teams within both Uber and Volkswagen. Both drivers and their vehicles are also covered by the necessary insurances for the day.
To get a chance to be driven around by your favourite celebrity, open your Uber app, slide right to “UberVW”, set your desired pickup location and click ‘Request Celebrity’.
For those that have yet to download the Uber smartphone mobile app, simply download the app onto an Android or iPhone platform and complete the free registration process. Then proceed to swipe and select as instructed above.
Each ride will be within Klang Valley only, and will be for short distances, not exceeding 30 mins per ride with a maximum seating capacity of 3 person. So guys, there will be no long trips to KLIA this time round (maybe next time!). For a full list of all the celebrities participating in this initiative, you can visit the Uber Blog at blog.uber.com/UberVWdrive.
