Google cracks the creative code

Google is fast becoming one of my favorite broadcast advertisers. I think they have as solid an understanding of their brand's promise and personality as anyone in the business.

What's most impressive to me is Google has a brand that lives entirely online, and yet they communicate their online experience through the tangible, real-life experiences they enable. The result is a wonderfully warm, human brand personality.

I get a couple of lessons out of looking at Google's broadcast portfolio. One is a reminder of the unique ability video has to surprise, delight and endear unlike virtually any other medium (something we all-too-often forget). The other is how powerfully humanizing a smart branding campaign can be. Brand architects talk about what human emotions and personalities their brands convey. In the abstract, it's hard to appreciate or know what to do with it. Then you see work like this and it all makes sense.

Here's their latest spot promoting Google Maps from Venables, Bell and Partners.