For 25 years people have come to Google looking to learn more about the people, places, and events that meant the most to them. This year’s #YearInSearch looks back on a quarter century of Search history, and celebrates the most searched icons that have inspired the world to search on.
Awards: D&AD Yellow Pencil, Graphite Pencil, x3 Wood Pencils (Search Playground), One Show Pencils – Gold, x5 Silver, Bronze (Search Playground / YiS Campaign), ADC Cubes – x2 Golds, x3 Silver, x2 Bronze, Best of Discipline Special Honor (Search Playground & YiS Campaign), Shorty Awards – x2 Gold, Silver, Winner & Audience Honor (Search Playground / YiS Campaign), Webby Awards – People's Voice Winner (YiS Film), Andy Awards – Gold (Search Playground)
Client: Google
Team: Brand Studio
Role: Group Creative Lead, GCD
Film
ECD: KK Walker
Creative Lead: Chris Bradford
Sr. AD: David Goss
Sr. CW: Erin Offland
Sr. Design Lead: Brad Simon
Producers: Evelyn Loomis, Eloise Harper Connolly, Emily Chingburnakit
Trends & Data Leads: Simon Rogers, Margaret Lucas
Supporting Creatives:
Andy Dao, Alex Romans, Sam Dolphin, Jon Kubik, Mike Egan, Caro Rebello, Artur Lipori
Editors: Aaron Leichter @Google Brand Studio, Corky DeVault @LuckyDay, Zach Jones @LuckyDay
Search Playground
ECD: KK Walker
Creative Leads: Chuck Carlson, Emily Yurko
Content Strategy: Nina Kauffman
UX Design: Ivy Yixue-Li, Kelsey O'Callaghan, Eli Block, Jeremy Margaritondo
Illustration & Animation: Oddfellows
Producers: Paul Chang, Allison Shahrestani
Trends & Data Leads: Simon Rogers, Margaret Lucas
Social
ECD: KK Walker
ADs: Jon Kubik, Brian Vandeputte, Gang Buron-Yi, Caro Rebello
CW: Sam Dolphin, Erin Offland, Artur Lipori
Design Lead: Brad Simon
Producers: Dana Ross, Lizzy Marcy, Evelyn Loomis
Trends & Data Leads: Simon Rogers, Margaret Lucas
Editors: Dani Ransom, Eric Wysocki @LuckyDay
For Google's 25th anniversary, we looked back on the most-searched people, places, and moments of the past quarter century. In the world of music, one name dominated them all. In 2023 Taylor Swift became the most searched songwriter of all time. To honor this historic achievement, we ignited a fandom obsessed with cryptic puzzles and easter eggs, by creating a special Google Doodle with an interactive digital treasure hunt designed for Swifties hidden inside. This experience took fans on a collaborative social journey to unlock exclusive content including a Taylor Swift-inspired film and trends-centered website.
Awards: Webby Awards – Viral Marketing Winner, ADC Cubes –Bronze, Shorty Awards – Technology Industry Winner, x2 Gold and Silver
Client: Google
Team: Brand Studio
Role: Group Creative Lead, GCD
Taylor Digital Experience
CL: Chuck Carlson
UX Design: Kelsey O'Callaghan, Jeremy Margaritondo
Digital Design: Eli Block
Strategy: Jake Webski
Animation/Illustration: Oddfellows
Supporting Creatives:
AD: Brian Vandeputte
CW: Annalie Juan
ECD: KK Walker
Taylor Swift: The Most Searched Songwriter Film
Creative team: Ryan Coopersmith, Charles Muzard
Supporting Creatives: Sam Dolphin, Jon Kubik
Editors: Ryan Coopersmith, Charles Muzard
ECD: KK Walker
During the 94th Academy Awards, Google debuted this moving spot celebrating the communicative power of the human eye.
Awards: Anthem Awards- 2023 Gold: DEI Special Projects, Gold: DEI Innovation, Silver: DEI Branded Content, Silver: DEI Product
Client: Google
Team: Brand Studio
Role: Creative Lead, CD
AD: Drew Stalker
CW: Smith Henderson
ECD: Michael Tabtabai
Editor: Corky DeVault @LuckyDay
Director: Kim Gehrig @Somesuch
In 2020, Covid-19 caused 41% of US Black-owned businesses to close, while Google Trends showed that searches for “Black-owned” skyrocketed by 600%. In short, people were looking to support Black-owned businesses, but lacked a way to find them. So we built a feature for businesses to identify as Black-owned, making this attribute searchable in Google Search and Maps. We created a 360 campaign encouraging people to search and support Black-owned businesses, resulting in 96,000+ businesses signing up, delivering help at scale when businesses needed it most.
Awards: D&AD Yellow Pencil, D&AD Wood Pencil, One Show Pencil (Gold), One Show Pencil (Silver), One Show Pencil (Bronze), Art Directors Club Cube (Silver), Art Directors Club Cube (Bronze), x3 Anthem Awards (Gold), Cannes Shortlist
Client: Google
Team: Brand Studio
Role: Creative Lead, CD
AD: Jon Kubik
CW: Sam Dolphin
Editors: Carter Gunn, Ryan Coopersmith, Charles Muzard, Matt Hilber
GCL: KK Walker
ECD: Michael Tabtabai
Google’s role in responding to the Covid-19 crisis was paramount in getting the world the information they needed as soon as possible. To help shine a light on the good that was happening during this challenging period of time, we created a series of trends-based messages thanking first responders and essential workers for their invaluable contributions during this global crisis.
Where There’s Help, There’s Hope
According to Google Trends, searches for “how to help” are at an all-time high. People around the world are searching for ways to help their communities, the elderly, small businesses, and essential workers.
To all those who sacrifice so much to help so many, thank you.
Client: Google
Team: Brand Studio
Role: Creative Lead, CD
AD: Jon Kubik
CW: Sam Dolphin
Editor: Zach Jones (Lucky Day)
GCL: KK Walker
ECD: Michael Tabtabai
Thank you Healthcare Workers
Searches for how to thank healthcare workers are surging around the world. As the world faces an unprecedented health crisis, we thank the entire healthcare community for sacrificing so much to save so many.
Client: Google
Team: Brand Studio
Role: Creative Lead, CD, Sr. Art Director
CW: Chris Bradford
Editor: Aaron Leichter
GCL: Aaron Allen, KK Walker
ECD: Michael Tabtabai
The year the world searched for heroes.
Awards: 2020 Webby- Best Branded Editorial Experience
Client: Google
Team: Brand Studio
Role: Creative Lead, CD, Sr. Art Director
CW: Chris Bradford
Editor: Aaron Leichter
GCL: Aaron Allen, KK Walker, Rebecca Sills
ECD: Michael Tabtabai
The best part about creating technology is seeing what the world does with it. When Jacqui was diagnosed with agoraphobia she knew she’d never live out her dreams of photographing the world. But with Google Street View she’s been able to travel the back roads of the world to become a celebrated photographer.
The film portion of this project was shot by content-lead documentary film director, Michael Marantz. In addition, we also worked with Michael and his wife Isabelle to use this project to launch Stories For Good - an independent online publication that features compelling content about important issues around the world and gives viewers an immediate and direct way to contribute.
Client: Google
Team: Brand Studio
Role: Creative Lead, Sr. Art Director
CW: Greg Rutter
GCD: Michael Tabtabai, Aaron Allen
The best part about creating technology is seeing what the world does with it. This is the story of how Anne-Christine Hertz, an inventor from Sweden, paired Google Street View with a stationary bike to help dementia patients remember. The film portion of this project was shot by the Academy Award-winning director Orlando von Einsiedel.
Awards: 2018 Art Directors Club Cube (Bronze)
Client: Google
Team: Brand Studio
Role: Creative Lead, Sr. Art Director
CW: Greg Rutter
GCD: Michael Tabtabai, Aaron Allen
Joshua is a veteran who realized his dream of becoming a physicist by teaching himself advanced mathematics from YouTube.
Client: YouTube
Team: Brand Studio
Role: Creative Lead, Sr. Art Director
CW/CL: Greg Rutter
Editor: Kyle Valenta
ECD: Michael Tabtabai
The new Google Earth invites everyone to discover and empathize with the world beyond their backyard, building bridges and creating a better understanding about our planet and life on it. This work was real close to making it to launch on Earth Day, but didn't. Insert sad face earth emoji.
Client: Google
Team: Brand Studio
Role: Sr. Art Director
CW: Greg Rutter
CD: Michael Tabtabai
As America's preeminent fictional newsman from the 1970's living in modern day time, Ron Burgundy is uniquely qualified to weigh in on any matter of significance, including (but not limited to) the kind of car you should be driving. We worked with Funny Or Die, Will Ferrell and Jake Szymanski to create a ton of ads, short films, instagrams, print pieces and social/digital competition. Enjoy.
Awards: One Show Silver Pencil, Cannes Short List, Webby People’s Voice Award, Webby Auto & Auto Services Award
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Role: Sr. Art Director
CW: Mike Egan
Interactive AD: Chuck Carlson
CD: Aaron Allen, Michael Tabtabai, Kevin Jones
Creative Partner: Funny or Die
This custom built, one-of-a-kind digital experience, is the Dodge brand's original take on the "Hands on a Hard Body" contest – first created by a Texas auto dealership in the 1980s and later gaining mass attention from an award-winning documentary film – where contestants compete to win a vehicle by keeping their hand on the vehicle the longest.
Hands on Ron Burgundy" ran exclusively on the "Funny Or Die" comedy video website, testing fans' perseverance using a computer mouse or touchscreen to place their "hands" on a digital image of Ron Burgundy. The contestant who "touched" Burgundy the longest in a single session time won a new 2014 Dodge Durango. Hundreds of additional prizes were awarded, including three trips for two to New York to attend "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues" movie premiere.
Awards: One Show Pencil (Silver), One Show Pencil (Bronze), Shorty Gamification Social Media Award
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Role: Sr. Art Director / Interactive AD
CW: Mike Egan, Sam Dolphin
Co-Interactive AD: Chuck Carlson
CD: Aaron Allen, Michael Tabtabai, Kevin Jones
Interactive Partner: Legwork Studios
Why can’t you have a phone that has it all? Well now you can. Introducing the water-resistant, memory expanding, shoots flawlessly in low light phone: Galaxy S7.
Agency: Wieden+Kennedy
Role: Sr. Art Director
Co-Sr. AD: Croix Gagnon
CW: Jarrod Higgins and Andy Laugenour
CD: Craig Allen and Jason Bagley
America is not a kingdom. We don't have a preordained ruling class, so nothing dictates what we can do, what we can achieve and how high we can climb. In America, nobody is more worthy than anybody else, which means everything - from opportunities to cars - is there for the taking. And those that do are the royalty of this country. And they deserve to Drive Proud.
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Role: Sr. Art Director
CW: Alex Romans
CDs: Aaron Allen and Kevin Jones
World renowned fashion designer John Varvatos was born and bred in Detroit. He's walked down the streets of Chrysler's hometown. He's worked on the line in a Chrysler assembly plant. And now this proud son of the Motor City has collaborated with us on a limited edition Chrysler 300.
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Role: Sr. Art Director
CW: Mike Egan
CD: Aaron Allen, Michael Tabtabai, Kevin Jones
For families, minivans are the second most researched purchase behind houses. Yet most of the reviews and ratings are done by middle-aged, single, male car journalists simply imagining what it's like to own a family vehicle. Seriously, these guys strap on pregnancy suits, fiddle around in the car for a little bit and write a review. Then we all take what they have to say as gospel. To us, this seems insane, so we created a new kind of test based on real life. The Test of Ownership.
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Role: Sr. Art Director / Interactive AD
CW: Mike Egan
Co-Interactive AD: Chuck Carlson
CD: Aaron Allen, Michael Tabtabai, Joe Staples
Interactive Partners: Legwork Studios & Digital Kitchen
In this campaign, we highlight all those moments when the car you drive can’t do the things you need it to do and counter that with all the things that make the Grand Caravan the Right Tool for the Job.
Unlike other car companies that try to convince people that they WANT a minivan, the Grand Caravan is giving them proof positive why they NEED one — in turn making them want one.
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Role: Sr. Art Director
CW: David Povill
CD: Aaron Allen, Michael Tabtabai, Joe Staples
Chrysler unveiled a co-branded television spot in celebration of the brand's partnership with the highly anticipated blockbuster, “The Dark Knight Rises.” Directed by former W+K alum Stacy Wall, the spot was designed and shot to look and feel as if it could live inside Gotham City itself. But what would that car look like and how would it be built? We imagined an elite team of mechanics and machinists transforming a 2012 Chrysler 300S into a custom-designed Chrysler 300, with a matte black exterior, stealth body panels, advanced weapon systems and a jet engine. It's a 300, Imported From Gotham City.
Agency: Wieden + Kennedy
Role: Sr. Art Director
CW: Mike Egan
As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. And in the world of budget-priced compact cars, that usually means sacrificing style and sophistication in the name of affordability. But there’s one car that offers more, for less – a hot fudge sundae of a car, for the same price as a regular vanilla cone. Introducing the 2011 Jetta. The only car with the performance and quality of a high-priced German sedan, but priced like a typical Japanese econo-box. It’s not a good car. It’s a great car. We just priced it like a good one.
Agency: Deutsch
Role: Sr. Art Director
CW: David Povill
CD: Eric Springer, Michael Kadin
The Pepsi Refresh Project is a multi-million dollar marketing platform that invites people to submit and vote for ideas that help make the world a better place.
In 2009, Pepsi launched the Refresh campaign, celebrating optimism and its role in our changing world. This year, Pepsi is putting that optimism into action, with the launch of the Pepsi Refresh Project. Over the course of the year Pepsi will be awarding millions of dollars in Pepsi Refresh Grants. We accept 1000 submissions per month and give away over $1.2MM every single month
to the winning ideas.
Stats:
- Over 86MM votes registered on refresheverything.com
- Received more votes than any presidential election in history
- over 3 Billion media impressions
- most successful social media campaign in history
Awards: 2010 Cannes Cyber Lion (Bronze) Best Digitally Led Integrated Campaign, 2010 Effie (Silver), 2010 Disruption Awards Grand Prix, 2011 Andy (Bronze), 2011 Clio (Silver)
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day
Role: Sr. Art Director
CW: Michelle Lewis
ACD: Xanthe Wells
CD: Jason Nichols, Michael Tabtabai
GCD: Brett Craig
Interactive Partner: HUGE
To celebrate and honor Michael Jackson’s legacy, we proposed a campaign that lets fans pay tribute not only to Michael’s music, but also to his mission to make the world a better place.
Utilizing social media as well as traditional OOH media, people were invited to submit clips of themselves dancing like MJ for a chance to star in Pepsi's Grammys Tribute commercial. Each submission also supported a Pepsi Refresh Project idea, to help increase awareness and participation in the program.
The end result was a TV commercial featuring a montage of fan-submitted clips of people doing their best MJ dance moves, set to a refreshed, remixed version of his hit song, "I Want You Back."
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day
Role: Sr. Art Director
CW: Greg Collins
Yes, Pepsi Max has 0 calories. But that’s just one small part of the story. Pepsi Max tastes great. Pepsi Max has extra caffeine. Pepsi Max has ginseng. Calling it a DIET completely misses the point.
Each ad would talk about Max in hyperbolic terms that play up all its amazing qualities, beyond just its lack of calories. In conjunction with the ramp line, “Max taste. Max Energy. No Calories,” the tagline serves to highlight all the ways in which Pepsi Max is far more than just a DIET.
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day
Role: Sr. Art Director
CW: David Povill
It’s one word. Just one tiny, little two-letter word that makes things happen. go is action. It’s the spark that starts the flame that sets everything in motion.
go gets us to leave lunch and go plant a tree, or learn Spanish. go looks at a 30-foot wave and says “yes.” go is what pushes us. go is what drives us. go is the reason we have skyscrapers, the internet in our pocket and cars that run on corn.
go gets us out of bed in the morning because go has better things to do than lie around and do nothing. go taps us on the shoulder and reminds us that it’s a big, beautiful world and it’s time to make the most of it. Which is why more people in more places go with Visa.
Because nobody let’s you be, wherever you want to be or do, whatever you want to do. Nobody gives you the power, the freedom or the possibilities. And nobody says, get out there, have fun, like Visa.
So don’t just sit there. go.
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day
Role: Sr. Art Director
CW: Paul Sincoff (*Visa Brand)
CD: Becca Morton, Gage Clegg (*Olympics)
Jimmy Dean wanted to prove their disgusting breakfast sandwiches could keep you going until lunchtime and beyond. They also needed a tagline. So Paul Sincoff and I brilliantly put the words "shine" and "on" together and made these ads.
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day
Role: Sr. Art Director
CW: Paul Sincoff
ACD: Mahmud Husain, Brian Friedrich