Pfizer uses Uber to address migraine misconceptions

The initiative focuses on misconceptions around migraine, which is often used casually to describe a bad headache or difficult day

Pfizer and Omnicom Health Hong Kong are using Uber Advertising to reach Hong Kong commuters with a migraine awareness campaign that combines a full-screen ad placement with an interactive quiz about symptoms, triggers and treatment.

The campaign uses Uber Advertising’s First Trip Takeover format, giving Pfizer full-screen, 100 percent share of voice during riders’ first Uber trip of the day. A QR code directs commuters to a short quiz designed to test their understanding of migraine and provide immediate explanations of the correct answers.

Campaign addresses migraine misconceptions

The initiative focuses on misconceptions around migraine, which is often used casually to describe a bad headache or difficult day. Pfizer cites an estimate that around 12.5 percent of Hong Kong’s population experiences migraine, a neurological condition that can involve warning signs, triggers and after-effects and can affect people’s ability to work.

The quiz covers symptoms, triggers and treatment, including preventive options. Participants who share their results on Instagram Stories can receive a HKD 50 discount on a future Uber ride, subject to availability.

Uber format targets Hong Kong professionals

Pfizer is the inaugural brand partner for First Trip Takeover, which can be localized to specific areas. For this campaign, the placement targets Hong Kong’s main business districts, where it reaches professionals during their morning commute.

Peggy Fung, General Manager, Pfizer Hong Kong & Macau: "Migraine is still widely misunderstood – dismissed as 'just a headache,' wrongly seen as only a women's issue, and too often managed with painkillers instead of being treated, or even prevented. We wanted to do more than raise awareness - we wanted to genuinely shift perceptions, and that's what excited us about this campaign. Our hope is that, armed with the right information, people stop underestimating the condition and seek proper medical consultation and the right treatment."

Omnicom Health builds an interactive education loop

Omnicom Health Hong Kong developed the campaign around the idea of turning advertising attention into a short educational interaction, with the quiz providing immediate feedback after each participant completes it.

Sam Wong, Managing Director, Omnicom Health Hong Kong: "Our brief wasn't just to raise awareness but to design a moment where awareness could actually convert into understanding. That's why every part of this mechanic matters: the takeover gets attention, the quiz tests what people think they know, and the instant explanations correct on the spot. It's a two-minute education loop, that reaches the right people in the right moment.”

Sky Sin, Client Partner, Uber Advertising: “First Trip Takeover was built for exactly this kind of moment - a brand that wants undivided attention at a point in someone's day when they're genuinely receptive, not just present. Partnering with Pfizer and Omnicom Health to launch it here in Hong Kong showed exactly what that attention can be used for - turning a daily commute into a genuine moment of health education.”

Early results show gaps in migraine knowledge

More than 700 riders completed the quiz during its first week. Campaign results indicate that many participants have limited understanding of migraine as a diagnosable and treatable condition, including awareness that medication can be used preventively rather than only after an attack begins.

The campaign will run in selected Uber vehicles through September. The HKD 50 Uber discount is available to eligible participants who complete the test through the campaign website, while supplies last.

Take the migraine awareness quiz

www.pfizer.com

www.uber.com

www.omc.com

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