During her three years as head of global consumer marketing for Apple Music, Bozoma Saint John used her branding prowess to tap into powerful partnerships (see: an ad that featured Taylor Swift falling off a treadmill while listening to Drake and Future’s “Jumpman”) that helped Apple launch its streaming platform and grow it to 20 million subscribers by the end of 2016.
After joining Uber in June as its first chief brand officer, she’s now helping another high-profile company navigate an inflection point: It’s her job to overhaul the company’s image. “I see myself as chief storyteller,” Saint John says. “There are certainly things that have happened [at Uber] that [we] want to change . . . I want people to see the humanity in the tech.”
Her first brand campaign premiered in September as part of the company’s partnership with the NFL. Starting with the Kansas City Chiefs versus the New England Patriots game, Uber is airing 17 regional TV spots during the season. The 15-second commercials feature local super fans who happen to be Uber drivers.