What you said about Google may be true, but I'd say that the use of a story in an ad can work well no matter what stage of development a company is in.

Ryan

What you said about Google may be true, but I'd say that the use of a story in an ad can work well no matter what stage of development a company is in.

Ryan

I think all big brands go through a similar story… In the beginning they have to prove themselves through benefits and usefulness… Then they become the norm after being spread by word of mouth… Then they become big enough that they merge with the culture.

Like if you check out Nike. At first they positioned themselves as improving athletic ability, and the ads broke down why the shoes did that. Then they became a big mainstream shoe. And now they're so integrated into the culture that their advertising doesn't need to focus all on benefits – it's more about leaving an emotional impression on the viewer, and reminding them of how Nike is such a big part of the culture by showing that the “coolest” NBA players wear it.

I think this commercial shows that Google recognizes they're in that last stage, and they're milkin it for all it's worth ;-). Anyways, just my two cents :-)

-David

What is the real message? Should good ads not be more than feelgood?

The ad is aimed at consumers. It encourage them to use Google to search. And I think it does a good job in this respect.

If they had tried to encourage consumers to click on paid ads, that would have confused the main point of the ad. And I don't think it stops people from clicking on paid ads.

If the the ad had been aimed at online business owners, then Adwords would have been the focus, and it would have been a completely different ad.

Ryan

John Deck