Meet The Panellist: Beachside Chat with Uber Eats and Special Group
On Thursday 19th June at 15:30pm, leaders from both brand and agency will take to the LBB & Friends Beach stage in a panel presented by Little Black Book titled, ‘Beachside Chat with Uber Eats and Special Group’.
What started as a tactical campaign to drive game-day orders became one of the funniest and most talked-about brand platforms of the year - a meme-fuelled conspiracy theory that turned football fandom into food obsession. From creative chaos to cross-functional collaboration, this session dives deep into how Football is for Food became a cultural force.
In this unfiltered conversation, LBB’s managing editor Americas and head of marketing, Addison Capper, will sit down with the creatives behind the madness to unpack how a one-liner became a full-blown brand world - and why committing to “just dumb enough” might be the smartest strategy of all.
Matt will be joined by:
- Danielle Hawley, Global Head of Brand and Creative, Uber
- Dave Horton, Partner & Chief Creative Officer, Special US
- Matt Woodhams-Roberts, Partner & Chief Creative Officer, Special US
Beachside Chat with Uber Eats and Special Group
For most campaigns, a running joke is just that - a joke. But Football is for Food took a seemingly dumb idea and built it into a strategic and cultural powerhouse, spanning from kick off to the Super Bowl and uniting more than 200 retail brands along the way.
In this panel, the teams from Uber Eats and Special share how they navigated high-stakes client-agency collaboration, chaos-fuelled NFL content calendars, and the fine line between funny and forgettable - all while creating one of the most distinct, sticky, and effective brand ideas of the year.
PANELLISTS
Danielle Hawley, Global Head of Brand and Creative, Uber
Danielle Hawley is a globally awarded creative leader and the brand force behind Uber’s most resonant, purpose-driven work. With over 15 years in top agencies and now leading brand and creative globally at Uber, her work has picked up Gold Lions, Spikes, and an Effie or three. She’s responsible for standouts like Tonight I’ll Be Eating, Delete Uber, Uber Don’t Eats, and On Our Way — Uber’s powerful Olympics campaign.
A believer in creative that moves culture and business, Danielle has led global campaigns for brands like Audi, Microsoft, and Coca-Cola. She lives in Lafayette, California with her husband, kids, and Labrador Ramona Frances.
Dave Horton, Partner & Chief Creative Officer, Special US
Dave is the creative brain behind some of the world’s funniest, most fearless brand campaigns - from Netflix and Adidas to Uber Eats. Named to Ad Age’s Creatives of the Year and ADWEEK’s Creative 100, Dave brings a sharp eye for strategy and a love for brave, culture-shaping work.
Since launching Special US, he’s helped the agency become one of the most awarded independents globally, delivering headline-grabbing work that proves comedy and commerce can go hand-in-hand.
Matt Woodhams-Roberts, Partner & Chief Creative Officer, Special US
Matt believes creative should be as contagious as it is clever. As CCO and co-founder of Special US, he’s helped transform a scrappy West Coast shop into a globally recognised creative powerhouse.
Matt’s led campaigns for Uber Eats, Fox Sports, Meta and more — with his work landing everywhere from Super Bowl slots to TikTok virality. Under his creative leadership, Special has been named Campaign’s Global Agency of the Year and Effies’ Most Effective Independent Agency in the World.
MODERATOR
Addison Capper, Managing Editor, Americas, Little Black Book
Addison joined Little Black Book as a researcher in 2012 following a successful internship the year before. Thirteen years on, he is one of the platform's longest-serving team members. As managing editor for the Americas, he oversees daily editorial output, leads a growing team of reporters, and champions creative excellence across advertising and production.
Read the full ‘Better Together’ content programme.
