Traffic jams, endless honking, and hours lost in front of the same traffic light. This daily scenario tortures people from big cities all around the world and traffic congestion is proving to be a huge problem for most developed cities. Now imagine how big this problem is in some East Asian countries.

Although plenty of states of the Far East have a friendly infrastructure and a flourishing economy, some are almost haunted by traffic jam problems. Undoubtedly, both personal comfort and the demographic boom are the main agents that propelled these countries into this situation. But what can one do to end this 21^st-century madness?

Supporting its statement with a study conducted in partnership with the Boston Consulting Group, the global transportation technology company Uber suggests that ridesharing can become a key part in untangling traffic jams. As most of the studies are accompanied by a visual documentary, the company turned its attention towards Swedish agency Forsman & Bodenfors, which was more than happy to join and complete the report with some creative ‘data.’

The ‘scientific’ approach of the Gothenburg-based agency, titled “Boxes”, presents a ridiculous, fast-paced urban environment in which people move around in individual cardboard boxes instead of cars. The metaphorical scenario imagined by the creatives illustrates a selfish world where people move erratically in their way to achieve their own interest — or, in this case, to get the best parking spot.

Created as a parody, the screening perfectly captures all the mess we are ready to endure just for the sake of our own comfort. To keep the video’s humorous spirit alive, the agency strategically selected the “Bare Necessities” from “The Jungle Book” as a soundtrack, because, let’s face it: “[we] don’t have to spend [our] time lookin’ around/ For something that [we] want that can’t be found.” This absolutely sums up the urban jungle, the total chaos, and the absurd delirium we choose to experience daily in exchange for our comfort.

We thrive to live outside the box, but clearly, we are trapped inside of a box. Pretty ironic, isn’t it? This is why Uber invites you to start sharing a ride in order to unbox your thinking. You’ll save plenty of time which you can spend with your family or friends, the cities will have more space to host schools, hospitals, and parks, not to mention that the environment will be more than happy to ‘applaud’ your ambitious decision.

The campaign that imagines “a world with fewer, fuller cars” is also supported by a website, where one can learn more about the current traffic situation in Asia and find out how ridesharing can ‘unlock’ the full potential of these cities.

The 80-second-long video, directed by Adam Berg of Indio, was shot in the streets of Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok, which was also diagnosed with severe traffic problems.

Have you ever imagined what might happen when you put hundreds of people and even more boxes together? Uber did it for you, and if you think the main video is hilarious, wait until you see what happened behind the scenes:

Credits:

Client: Uber

Agency: Forsman & Bodenfors