Google is making waves with its Super Bowl 60 advertisement, a high-profile promotion for its flagship AI model, Gemini. This campaign highlights the company’s commitment to emotional storytelling through technology.
Produced by Google Creative Lab, the 60-second commercial offers a heartfelt narrative revolving around a mother preparing her young son, Ben, for a significant move to a new home. Utilizing Gemini, she retrieves photos of the new, empty house and combines them with images from Google Photos of Ben’s current room. This prompts the chatbot to generate a new image that includes Ben’s bed and toys in their new environment. Together, they explore pictures of their new backyard, envisioning all the possibilities ahead. While mom isn’t on board with the idea of a trampoline, they do contemplate gardening activities instead.
The emotional depth of this ad is reminiscent of Google’s previous Super Bowl appearances, where they frequently focus on human-centric stories to highlight the relevance of their products. Last year’s ad showcased a devoted father maximizing his time by conducting mock job interviews on his Pixel phone. The year prior, Google depicted a visually impaired man who discovers love and family, supported by the accessibility features of Pixel’s camera. In 2020, a widower used Google Assistant to preserve memories of his late wife.
For those in the advertising industry, the Super Bowl 60 spot resonated strongly.
Jason Harris, CEO, Mekanism
Google has refined a unique approach: creating emotional connections. Audiences might forget which celebrity pitched what service, but they will remember the grandfather utilizing Google to keep his granddaughter’s memories of her late grandmother alive or the father documenting his daughter’s milestones. By showcasing a genuine human experience with Gemini, Google succeeds in evoking nostalgia. Amidst the chaos of one of advertising’s loudest events, their subdued voice effectively stands out.
David Angelo, chairman and founder, David & Goliath
I appreciate this campaign profoundly—not only as a parent who relates deeply to the storyline, but because the AI application feels sincere, relatable, and purposeful. This isn’t technology for the sake of technology; it enhances life’s moments. It prompts reflection on how AI can subtly enrich everyday experiences, trampoline or not. By integrating real-life footage—a hallmark of Google’s success—with intelligent functionality, this ad humanizes technology in a way many brands still struggle to achieve. It inspires interest in using AI rather than fear and fosters a positive perception of both Gemini and Google.
Al Merry, founder and chief creative officer, Flower Shop
