Google is kicking off its biggest marketing push for Gemini, its generative AI assistant, in a feel-good Super Bowl ad meant to humanize the tech.
In the 60-second spot, set to air during the third quarter of the Feb. 8 game, a mother helps prepare her young son, Ben, for a big move to a new home with help from Gemini. She asks Gemini to pull up photos of the new house, then drops in a picture of Ben’s current room to show him how his bed, his toys, and even the dog’s bed can fit into his new room. Then, they take a look at the new backyard, and although Mom still won’t let Ben have a trampoline, together they imagine all the possibilities of their new life together with Gemini’s image-generation tools.
The campaign represents Google’s fifth consecutive—and 10th overall—Super Bowl appearance. From the company’s first foray in 2010 with “Parisian Love,”—a love story told through Google searches—the brand has consistently taken an emotional tack to its Super Bowl messaging.
“Google is a product company, but really, we believe in products that help people,” said Marvin Chow, vp of consumer and AI marketing at Google. “We believe in that storytelling of connecting the benefit of a product to a value in someone’s life.”
The core idea of this year’s ad, “New Home,” is that Google is becoming more helpful than ever. “The platform that we’re developing is this idea of a new kind of help from Google,” Chow said. “We’ve always been the helpful company, but with new advances in technology and AI, the kind of help we can bring people is going to be new and improved. This really starts to set that tone [that] it’s not just another chatbot, but it’s a new kind of help…that we’re going to bring to you.”
This year’s ad, “New Home,” was created by the in-house Google Creative Lab team. Although Google maintains various agency relationships, it made sense to create this ad internally, Chow said, because the Creative Lab has direct insight to product development and research at Google, enabling a more informed depiction of Gemini’s capabilities.
“New Home” is the keystone of an integrated campaign that spans TV, online video, social, out-of-home, and influencer partnerships. Much of the content will appear in the days leading up to the Big Game. Bay Area residents, for example, can expect to see ads for Gemini splashed across billboards and public transportation. Plus, through a partnership with Lyft, Google will offer a $20 ride credit through Feb. 8 for Bay Wheels bikes across the Bay Area. Gemini will also sponsor EA Sports’ Madden Bowl, starring Luke Combs and Teddy Swims, on Feb. 6. On social platforms, the brand will roll out a slate of play-by-play, sports commentary-style videos with announcers showcasing various use cases for Gemini, from trying a new hairstyle to identifying a car’s fuse box.
