Google has been making a concerted effort to promote their rebranded mobile app, with an ad campaign summed up quite adequately by a charming 30-second TV spot (below), which shows a child asking Google if dogs can dream. Other short clips used to showcase the app, specifically its voice search feature, include spots featuring a man asking about the size of the Grand Canyon, at the Grand Canyon, and someone asking “How long do Koalas sleep each day?” whilst watching a sleeping Koala Bear.
The Google App – Dream
However, it would appear that if you really want to experience the best executions of the campaign, you're going to have to book yourself a flight to 'The Big Apple', because the LA-based agency 72andSunny has used the features of the app to weave the campaigns outdoor elements into the fabric of the city.
The Google App - Koala
The site-specific ads work with numerous businesses and proprietors in the city to bring mini installations to life. The increasingly famous Google “Voice Search” logo can be found at various locations in the city and each will be paired with a specific phrase that, when spoken into the app on the users smartphone, will unlock bespoke content.
The Google App – Grand Canyon
The idea is not a new one as it's already been used liberally by services like Spotify, and Google themselves used a similar campaign by BBH in 2011 (which won big at the Cannes Lions the next year), but this is the first time such a campaign has been attempted on such a huge scale. Locations used in the campaign include the famous Katz's Deli, the Museum of the American Gangster and even the Top Of The Rock Observation Deck.
The Google App - Telescope
A representative for Google says that “Google search has always been about inspiring curiosity and enabling discovery,” which is “The inspiration behind encouraging New Yorkers to re-look at familiar landmarks (both big and small) in a new light.” She believes that “By pairing interesting questions with visually intriguing placements,” 72andSunny's outdoor campaign manages to “Cut through all the sights and sounds of the city that compete for attention."
The Google App – Bad Dog
She adds that the campaign “Aims to spark curiosity about the breadth and depth of New York, and the types of information you can ask of the Google app,” and says the idea was “To make the work feel as natural to the environment as possible; from custom bowling balls in Brooklyn Bowl to cappuccino cups in Cafe Reggio."
Official Google Mobile Website
Benjamin Hiorns is a freelance writer and musician from Kidderminster in the UK who once asked Google Voice Search for restaurant recommendations and ended up having the best steak of his life.
