It seems like everything is available for delivery on Uber Eats nowadays – from food to beer to firestarters. But, as Uber Eats reminds us in the newest iteration of the ‘Get almost, almost anything’ campaign, not quite everything is available for delivery from the app – and that’s a good thing.

Felton and Coughlan show the dangers of getting anything

The series of ads builds upon the previous campaign featuring Kris and Kendall Jenner, which launched the ‘Get almost, almost anything’ positioning last year. This time, Uber Eats has enlisted globally recognisable actors Tom Felton and Nicola Coughlan.

The ad spots are humorous, over-the-top plays on the two actors’ best known roles.

Felton, famous for his breakout role as the iconically villainous wizard Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter, orders a magic wand from Uber Eats (who wouldn’t want one of those!). But things go awry when Felton accidentally causes his neighbour to disappear in a puff of smoke, and we watch his absurd descent from guilty fugitive to detainee.

For Coughlan, a recognisable star from historical fiction-romance Bridgerton, the ad shows her searching ‘Period Romance’ to order a handsome Victorian suitor. But things go pear-shaped when the dashing date expresses some ridiculously outdated, misogynistic views.

The message of the two short films, conveyed via light-hearted fantastical humour, is that not everything is available to order from Uber Eats, and that this is for the best. The ads end with alternative product suggestions which are offered by Uber Eats. Magic, no, but Ice Magic,  yes, finishes Felton’s advert.

Period Romance – Get Almost Almost Anything from Special Group on Vimeo.

“Being able to partner with two world class actors in Tom and Nicola gave us the opportunity to build on our ‘get anything’ narrative in ways we could have only hoped for at the start of this creative process,” says Channa Goonasekara, brand lead at Uber Eats ANZ.

‘Get almost, almost anything’

The newest iteration of the ‘Get almost, almost anything’ campaign is supported by 40 different product-based films, which all highlight items customers would be pleased to receive (alongside just as many items they wouldn’t).

Like the longer films, the 15-second spots are humorous, and feature ridiculous items Uber Eats obviously don’t offer, such as horrifying evil spirits or exploding fireworks, alongside actual offerings.

The ads also feature the No, Yes structure of the longer features, employing a catchy play on words to cleverly highlight Uber Eats’ varied offerings. Apes: No, Grapes: Yes, says one ad. Muay Thai: No, Pad Thai: Yes, says another.

Uber Eats’ campaigns have a history of success. Its ‘Tonight, I’ll be eating…’ campaign was awarded the prestigious Grand Effie in last year’s Ad Industry awards.

Like its previous campaigns, the new ‘Get almost, almost anything’ campaign similarly uses recognisable star power to humorously highlight Uber Eats’ rich array of offerings – from retail to alcohol to convenience (and, of course, restaurant cuisine).

The campaign was produced via Special Australia and supporting agency village Essence Mediacom, Hello Social and H/Commerce.

“Uber Eats just being willing to actually highlight what they don’t deliver versus what they do, has let us have a direct conversation about their widely expanded offering in a way that creates simple entertainment and brand cut through,” says James Sexton, Special Aus Uber creative director APAC.

The ‘Get almost, almost anything’ campaign platform has already been exported globally to Taiwan, the United States and Canada.

Read more about Uber Eats’ recent campaign to rename Australia’s capital to CanBEERa here.