Google released their new web browser, Chrome, in 2008, hoping to compete with giants such as Apple’s Safari, Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Mozilla’s Firefox. They proceeded with a global advertising campaign to both demonstrate the capabilities of their new software and to further enhance the Google brand.
The campaign brought about a series of videos designed for
both television and the web; I have chosen three of them from their UK
campaign to analyse; Google Chrome: Movember; Google Chrome: Second Chance; and Google Chrome:
Jamal Edwards...
All three of them follow the same general pattern of a narrative
being told through the features of Google Chrome; Second Chance a love
story, Jamal Edwards the rise of a young entrepreneur and Movember
the growth of a charity awareness campaign. Viewers are highly engaged as they
can see a story develop and unfold (Green and Brock, 2000), but the Chrome ads
do this in a less traditional way. For example, there is no narrator talking
the viewer through what’s going on on-screen as in other global advertising campaigns (Apple
iPhone, for example); the viewer has to pay attention and see it develop themselves. This creates a kind of intrigue and heightens interest. The tales in all three
ads are feel-good stories which in turn will make the viewer feel good about
watching them, and therefore make them feel good about the brand (Phillips and
McQuarry, 2010). Jamal Edwards and Movember are inspirational stories
whereas Second Chance is very charming and sweet; all ‘nice’ feelings
that viewers will respond positively to. And if viewers are engaged and feeling
positive, then that can only be a benefit to the Chrome brand (Delgado-Ballester et
al, 2012).
.
The Movember ad
does feature a kind of narration, but its from the ‘characters’ of the story
themselves rather than a designated voice-over. I would imagine this is purely
for the purpose of educating viewers on what ‘Movember’ actually is, in an informative manner, as
well as engaging the viewer further – the characters are real people and
participants of the Movember movement – viewers are more inclined to listen to
and believe true stories/real people than a designated narrator (Kryhul, 2006),
especially with regards to charities.
This true-story sentiment is echoed in all three adverts,
giving the viewer the opportunity to relate to the characters in the story. Movember
especially is effective in doing this as it not only can be related to by
survivors/fighters/sufferers of any type of cancer, but also to people who want
to donate, raise money and help the cause in a fun and interesting way. I guess
that if people can see parts of these three stories in their own lives, then
they can see how Chrome can be a part of their own lives as well. The tagline of
the campaign further adds to this as it almost provokes the viewer into creating
their own legacy and story, just like the characters in the adverts have done. Jamal Edwards in particular does this as it uses a young male from a humble, ethnic background who achieved big things with just a video camera and a computer. This could be interpreted as a mirror into Britain's current economic situation with regards to massive unemployment in young people and Google wanting to show this sector of society that if you have an idea, it can become a reality - especially if you use Google Chrome to help you.
The narratives in the three ads all have something in common
– they don’t end. This leaves viewers wanting more and helps in increasing
engagement even further. It gives the impression that, like the stories outlined
in the ad, Google Chrome hasn't finished yet and there is still a lot more to
come from it. As Jamal Edwards types, ‘I’m just getting started...’
But it’s not just the inspirational or charming narratives
that make these ads effective; it’s also the way in which the ads are physically
put across - both visually and audibly. The ads are all filmed from the
internet browser’s point-of-view, which sets it apart from other adverts
straight away. Its something that hasn't been done before for a mainstream
broadcast campaign and will instantly impact on viewers due to its unfamiliar
look and feel (Clow et al, 2005). The ads brilliantly, but subtly, highlight
Chrome’s (and Google’s) huge repertoire of features and services – Google Translate,
Google Earth, Maps and Streetview, YouTube, Google Documents, Chrome Apps, Google
Search, Google Images, Google +... all in 60 seconds. This fast-paced
nature further ads to both engaging the viewer and also reflects on the
abilities of the browser itself (Yoon et al, 1999). It gives the impression
that these massive accomplishments of the characters within the stories were
achieved in no time at all, thanks to the speed and capabilities of Google
Chrome. Furthermore, everything the characters do is within the parameters of the Chrome browsing interface, adding to the point of Chrome being the only thing you need for your web experiences as it has everything all in one place.
The music in the ads also contributes to adding context,
charm and impact to the communication process. Huron (1989) identifies six
basic ways in which music can increase the effectiveness of an advert: Entertainment,
Structure/Continuity, Memorability, Lyrical Language, Targeting and Authority Establishment.
Jamal Edwards clearly ‘targets’ the youth audience through its music - the
use of modern hip-hop/grime music performed by current artist, Wretch-32,
proves this and adds to the ‘youth-culture’ feel of the ad. The use of well-known
individuals from the music industry (Jesse J, Plan B, Richard Branson, etc.), however brief, further
enhances the appeal of the ad to the youth audience, as they are more likely to
look up to the figureheads and see these people as role models (Fleck et al
2012) and therefore take notice of the advert. This can be said for Movember also, which features Hulk Hogan – a legendary moustached man who again, according to Fleck et al (2012), can communicate the point effectively and have a bigger impact on viewers. He is also a welcome surprise to the viewer as a familiar face appears in between a drone of unfamiliar ones. Second Chance
and Movember take a slightly different approach in terms of their music to Jamal Edwards in
the sense that the songs aren't particularly as main stream or well-known. ‘The Porch Song’ by the Meemies is played over the
background in Second Chance, repeating the phrase ‘Sorry 'bout those things I said before’ – a ‘lyrical language’ link (Huron, 1989) to the narrative of the ad and an
addition to the whole romantic feeling of the advert itself. Movember’s
music is more uplifting and energetic. Performed by The Handsome Furs’, ‘Repatriated’
is not as mainstream or well-known as Wretch 32’s ‘Traktor’, but it
epitomises the advert completely. It has a building tempo and grows as the ad
goes on – just like the phenomenon that is the Movember awareness campaign as
illustrated in the ad. It also has a memorable tone and melody which Huron
suggests can build on the viewer’s brand recognition.
And its only at the end of the adverts that we find out explicitly
what is being advertised. That’s not to say, however, that we didn't know already.
Google is such a massive brand, with services so ingrained in our computing
normalities that its repertoire (as earlier described) seems so familiar during
the time it is being showcased to the viewer. The essence of the message is not
‘the web is what you make of it...’, but ‘Google is the web...’.
References and Further Reading
- Clow, K., Berry, C., Kranenburg, K and James, K. (2005) ‘An Examination of the Visual Element of Sevice Advertisements. Marketing Management Journal, 15(1), 33-45.
- Delgado-Ballester, E., Navarro, A., Sicilia, M. (2012) "Revitalising brands through communication messages: the role of brand familiarity", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 46 Iss: 1/2, pp.31 – 51
- Fleck,N., Korchia, M., and Le Roy, I. (2012) 'Celebrities in Advertising: Looking for Congruence or Likeability?' Psychology and Marketing 29(9), 651-662
- Green, Melanie C. and Timothy C. Brock (2000), "The Role of Transportation in the Persuasiveness of Public Narratives," Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79 (5 ), 701 -21
- Huron, D. (1989). Music in advertising: An analytic paradigm. Musical Quarterly, 73(4), 557-574.
- Kryhul, A. (2006) ‘Truth in Advertising’ Marketing Magazine; 3/20/2006, Vol. 111 Issue 11, p3-3, 1/2p
- Phillips, B and McQuarry, E. (2010) ‘Narrative and Persuasion in Fashion Advertising.’ Journal of Consumer Research; Oct2010, Vol. 37 Issue 3, p368-392, 25p
- Yoon, K., Bolls, P., Muehling, D. (1999) ‘The Effect of Involvement, Arousal, and Pace on Claim and Non-claim Components of Attitude toward the Ad’ Media Psychology Vol. 1, Iss. 4, 1999
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