By: Andrew Centofante - 02-15-2010 - (1) Comments - Video

I am not going into all the different super bowl ads or enter the debate about whether they are worth $2.7 million, but I will say that the Google super bowl ad was one of the best advertisements I have seen in a long time.  The screen opens on a search bar and our adventure begins.  We follow the tale of a young mans journey told exclusively through his searching experience on Google.  He searches about a travel abroad program, which eventually leads him to learn french in an attempt to woo a french girl, to whom he proposes and has a child with.  The unique way in which this story is told works on several levels which all add up to one emotionally powerful climax which brilliantly uses the predictive search to keep us on the edge of our seat.

First of all the commercial is simple… super simple.  No fancy graphics or complex concepts, nothing but you watching somebody search.

Secondly, it is familiar.  We all have used Google or some form of search engine.  What is happening on the screen is so ingrained into our every day life that its almost second nature.  This is a powerfully subtle message, but it is at the heart of what Google is trying to say.  This is normal, this is easy, this is what YOU do everyday.  Part of why it is so familiar is because the manner and speed that the commercial is shown mimics that of real life.  The commercial moves fast, the user types fast and clicks fast.  Some shots zoom in on the most relevant results.  The user misspells words.  It all adds up to the experience of the commercial closely matching our behavior as we sit at home surfing the internet.

The commercial also connects with us on a very emotional level because, more often than not, we are willing to reveal startlingly intimate details in our search queries.  The commercials final climactic query is “How to assemble a crib”, a seemingly innocent question but when put into context is vastly emotional and personal.  Another line, “Impress a french girl” might be embarrassing to ask a friend, but Google is your confidant.  Now this gets us into the rabbit hole of privacy, which we will leave for another day, but we have all revealed private and personal information in our searches and that helps connects us to the young man in this ad.

Finally it hit Microsoft’s Bing right where it hurts.  Bing has been touting itself as a decision engine, taking the stance that other searches give you information overload but Bing will help you decide.  Google comes out swinging by showing that the young man is looking for answers and he is finding them.  Not only does he find the answers quickly but they are in essence helping tell his story.  The results are his life.

Well done Google.