Google Just Made The Ad Of The Decade
This year, there have been dramatic, last-minute changes to Super Bowl advertising. One notable example of an ad that was pulled is the Planters ad wher...
This year, there have been dramatic, last-minute changes to Super Bowl advertising. One notable example of an ad that was pulled is the Planters ad where Mr. Peanut dies. Because, obviously, no one could have predicted Kobe Bryant's death in a tragic helicopter accident.
But an ad that isn't being pulled - an ad that was produced by Google, in-house - is one of the most brilliant ads you will see over the next five years. It's one of the most brilliant ads I've ever seen.
It's the perfect example of why I believe all business owners, big or small, myself included, need to handle their creative production in-house. You don't have to have the whole crew on staff full-time, but I do believe you should be producing your own Super Bowl ads. You're the one who knows your brand, your customers, your story so I encourage you to tell that story, in a powerful way. You don't have to run it during the Super Bowl, but you need an ad that has that type of power, that type of draw for your audience. And I'm telling you, Google hit a home run with this.
Why This Ad Caught Me Completely Off Guard
Before I show you this ad, a little context: we all know what we're going to get from Budweiser. (Clydesdales and cute dogs!) We all knew what we were going to get from Planter's this year. (The controversial demise of Mr. Peanut!) We know what a GoDaddy superbowl ad looks like. (Can you say, "salacious?!") But this Google ad totally caught me off guard.
This morning I was in bed, flipping through an Ad Age article on my phone and drinking my coffee…quietly, because my wife was still asleep. And then, suddenly, I'm crying. Tears streaming down my face.
This ad hit me hard. It was simple, beautiful, and so deeply emotional. You never see the narrator, but you feel an instant and powerful connection to him. It was so good, I shared it in the office with Meaghan from my leadership team.
Even My Team Ugly Cried
Here's what she had to say,
"Do you want me to talk about how I cried at work today? Okay. So, I watched the Google Super Bowl ad and I cried at work. I think I cried as much as when someone showed me the new James Blunt music video (Monsters) about how his dad is dying and then it zooms out and there his dad is, sitting next to him. So, the Google ad…was similarly beautiful and upsetting."
Like me this morning, Meaghan ended up doing the scrunchy-face, tears-streaming, trying-to-hold-it-together cry. You know, what Rachel Hollis calls 'ugly crying.' If I'm being honest, my eyes got a little misty on the re-watch, too.
Are you ugly crying now? If not, you will be soon. Grab some tissues and jump to 2:40 to check out the ad embedded in the video above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ken calls it one of the most brilliant ads he's ever seen because it's simple, beautiful, and deeply emotional. It creates an instant, powerful connection to the narrator (who you never see) and caught him completely off guard—unlike predictable Super Bowl ads from brands like Budweiser or GoDaddy. It literally made him cry while reading Ad Age in bed.
Ken believes all business owners should handle their creative production in-house, just like Google did with this ad. You don't need the whole crew on staff full-time, but you should produce your own high-impact ads because you're the one who knows your brand, customers, and story best. You don't have to run it during the Super Bowl, but you need an ad with that type of power and draw.
The Planters ad where Mr. Peanut dies was pulled due to the tragic timing of Kobe Bryant's death in a helicopter accident. Obviously, no one could have predicted that tragedy when the ad was created.
Yes. Meaghan from Ken's leadership team watched it at work and ugly-cried just as much as when she saw the James Blunt music video about his dying dad. Ken himself got misty-eyed even on the re-watch, and both did the scrunchy-face, tears-streaming, trying-to-hold-it-together cry.
