Summer is finally here, with temperatures expected to hit the high 70s in Seattle this Friday. Perfect weather for some ice cream, don’t you think?
And now you may not have to leave the comfort of your front lawn (or office parking lot) in order to get it. Uber, best known for its sleek and cool limousine rides, has contracted with a fleet of ice cream trucks in Seattle and six other cities to make sure that folks get their fill of ice cream sandwiches and rocket pops.
“On July 13th, users can activate the Uber app on a smartphone, and within ten minutes, an Uber Ice Cream Truck will arrive at their location,” according to the promotion. The deliveries of the cool treats will take place between noon and 6 p.m. In addition to ice cream, customers will get Uber T-shirts, aprons and other swag. Customers can’t just order one bomb pop, however, as they must commit to buying an ice cream package for five people valued at $12.
The ice cream delivery will be available in downtown Seattle, as well as the neighborhoods of South Lake Union, Pioneer Square, Capitol Hill and Fremont.
Uber’s Michelle Broderick calls it the “greatest break-through in ice-cream technology since Dippin’ Dots.”
Known for its quirky and creative promotions, Uber offered a 99 percent discount to those customers who wanted a lift to the post office or the liquor store on Tax Day earlier this year.
You may laugh at the ice cream promotion, but given Uber’s big backers (including Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos) home delivery is not something that’s out of the equation.
In the short term, the ice cream truck promotion certainly offers a way for the company — traditionally seen as a high-end service of the wealthy — to appeal more to everyday users. In fact, earlier this month the company started touting a service where customers can request less fancy vehicles. Uber CEO Travis Kalanick told The New York Times that the new service marks “the first big step Uber is taking to go to the masses.”
And how better to show consumers that you are “of the people” than ice cream trucks.
Here’s the company’s video promo introducing its one-day ice cream truck service.
