Google Search Stories, Gone French. (And an Astronaut Segue.)

It's poetic that Google's Search Stories campaign, which swept us off our feet with "Parisian Love" during this year's Super Bowl, now has a true French variant.



The Une Histoire campaign is outfitted with its own Search Stories, written in French but armed with more universal triggers: hopes, dreams, trajectories that start small but blossom into dramatic life changes. You know the plot well. My favourite is "Rêve d'Enfant" ("Childhood dream," above).

I totally wanted to be an astronaut, but not for any noble purpose. It was mostly to have a reason to go to space camp. And while we're off-topic, check out these "holiday snapshots" by astronaut Soichi (@astro_soichi). They're magic!

Back on-topic. Une Histoire was produced in partnership with France-based ETO. As with the English campaign, you have the option of creating your own search story, which media pub Influencia actually went and took the time to do:

UPDATE: "Une Histoire" debuted as a broadcast campaign on French network TF1 on November 28 for a reported 300,000 euros. In maintaining a bit of the Super Bowl spirit it rode for its US debut, the ad appeared just before the screening of Bienvenue Chez Les Ch'tis, a film that scored record box office returns in France.

Google's 'Parisian Love' Sweeps the Super Bowl

So word on the street is that Google ended up debuting its Search Stories campaign on TV during Super Bowl Sunday. The effort's darling is the classic American-in-Paris love story, told in a new -- and I'd say rather sublime -- way: with search results and ambient sounds.

It goes against typical Super Bowl lore that the work wasn't new; I covered it in December, when it had already been circulating the 'net for a month, seizing hearts in a kind of sleeper effect.

From Eric Schmidt:

We didn't set out to do a Super Bowl ad, or even a TV ad for search. Our goal was simply to create a series of short online videos about our products and our users, and how they interact. But we liked this video so much, and it's had such a positive reaction on YouTube, that we decided to share it with a wider audience.

It may come off pointless or even counterproductive for Google to run an ad for its search service, which already dominates over 70% of US searches, particularly when it's got Chrome to promote, plus Nexus One, plus the prospective tablet that received absolutely no love in the shadow of Apple's iPad.

But I'd say it was a good call: it's a reminder that "search" is now the world's "official language." It's a skill that has to be taught if you want to develop a mastery, and the ad demonstrates clearly how the simple act of running searches can "teach" you maximize the likelihood you'll find what you're looking for -- even if the goal is unforeseen and intangible, like love or meaningful long-term relationships.

More importantly, it positions Google as the "owner" of this language. Search isn't really about newer, faster technology. It's about connecting people -- we, the creators and curators and consumers of data -- in useful, intuitive and compelling ways.

That it's already been parodied in the gaudiest way imaginable only strengthens this position: isn't it true that in the process of learning a language, it's always the dirtiest elements that resonate best? =P



If you have a sec, read Robin Sloan's take on telling stories with interfaces, inspired by the "Parisian Love" piece and the lovely memes that came before it.

'Every Search is a Quest. Every Quest is a Story.'

VOTW passed me this pretty video about an American expat finding love in Paris. Yeah, it's an old story; but in this case, it's told in the world's second language: Google search.

Embrace the warm fuzzies.* Or embrace the commenter who said:

I think one should be done on someone going vegan. Google definately played a big roll in me going vegan(along with peta)

...yeah.

See more search stories. Note the cinematic way in which new ones are presented. Doesn't it please you that Google and YouTube got hitched?

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*Just so it's clear, I'm touched by this video. But that's because I'm living a cliché.