Google Chrome Jess Time

Google has been a global leader in technological advancement from the early ages of the Internet, and it shows no signs of slowing down. Google Hangouts was introduced in 2013, by no means the first video chat technology, but Google wants to show you that it’s the best. 

The commercial begins with a laptop opening, branding at the forefront with a chrome logo in center screen. The camera shifts to a simple Gmail chat–messages shared between a dad and his daughter in the bottom right-hand side of the screen, where we expect to see a chat box. It’s clear from ten seconds in that this is an emotional ad, meant to evoke pathos in the audience. 

The video is exactly one minute long, but that’s all it needs for the message to sink in—Google Hangouts is how you stay connected with family when they aren’t there. The set pieces are an empty nester father and a girl who’s just gone off to college. Household items and kitchen backdrops surround the father. Picture collages and mirrors decorate the daughter’s college dorm room. 

Google Chrome frames each shot, showing the viewer that the videos are all done in Hangouts. The beginning of the clip is shrouded in sadness and loneliness, which is underscored by the daughter’s clothing choices (sweatpants, hoodies, pajamas, etc.). Gradually, through use of Google Hangouts to talk and chat with her dad, the daughter’s emotions change from sadness to homesickness to enjoyment, and finally to the determination. Clothing choices again depict the moods of the ad—the daughter helping her dad pick out a tie, or wearing a normal outfit to go and tackle the day. 

The message is clear by the end of the video: Google Hangouts will not only help you stay connected but help you overcome obstacles because you can face them together with your loved ones.