Google Chrome has been extremely successful at making great commercials that have very little to do with their actual product, if at all.
First, they aligned themselves with the It Gets Better Project. Seen as a risky move by some because it aligns the brand so closely to the gay community, it garnered a large amount of press for an already top-of-mind brand juggernaut. They got huge names to convey their strong message (including my favorite, Woody from Toy Story). According to Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich, Pixar and Tom Hanks actually produced that clip specifically for the IGB Project and the Chrome commercial – it was not taken from existing material.
Then, they pulled at every father and father-to-be’s heartstrings with their “dear.sophie.lee” spot. The storytelling really shines through here, and the two minute spot flies by almost as quickly as watching your kids grow up. A single word is never spoken, but the message is loud and clear.
What can we learn from this? There is no such thing as going too far outside of the box, and we are not limited by our client’s products and services. With great, memorable storytelling and strong branding, advertising can and does make a huge impact on the client’s target audience, no matter what the subject matter. Advertising is, after all, what we make of it.
What do you think of the Google Chrome spots? Are there any other examples of brands that don’t let their product limit their brand messaging? Does your brand have the backbone to lay it all out there like Google did? If so, we especially want to hear from you.