Design > Brand Building
CIRCLE TO SEARCH
R/GA, New York / GOOGLE / 2024
Overview
Credits
OVERVIEW
Why is this work relevant for Design?
We branded Google’s latest and greatest AI-enabled consumer innovation: “Circle to Search” to ensure the innovation was clearly attributable to Google, and that every time it was featured in marketing — which it was by many partners around the world (e.g., Samsung, Verizon, Motorola, OnePlus etc) — it became an ad for Google. The branded gesture is now influencing the actual product UI and Google’s most iconic product: search.
Is this product available for purchase?
“Circle to Search” is not something that is purchased directly by consumers, but rather a feature within the Android devices they buy. It is currently available on Samsung and Google Pixel, and will soon be available to all of Android’s 3.5B users worldwide.
Please provide any cultural context that would help the Jury understand any cultural, national or regional nuances applicable to this work.
“Circle to Search” is a new way to search anything on your phone with a simple gesture (drawing a circle around any image or text.) And it’s one of Google’s hottest new innovations. The problem: the feature was designed to blend in, so there was no way for Google to get the credit when it was promoted in the marketing materials of our global cell phone manufacturing partners. So a unique challenge arose - How do we drive brand attribution in marketing Google doesn’t own, so that they can get the credit for this innovation?
Background
The goal, put simply, was to ensure Google got credit and brand attribution for their new “Circle to Search” innovation, even when it appeared in the marketing communications and devices of their partners, like Samsung. Which was vital, considering the technology will be scaling to all +3BN Android users across the globe, and without attribution, no one would know that it was an innovation led by Google.
Describe the creative idea
Because “Circle to Search” was designed to work seamlessly with any Android device, we needed to find a way for Google to get credit for this innovation when it was promoted by their partners in global marketing materials and product demos. So, we went beyond creating a logo, by branding the interface and gesture itself.
Describe the execution
We leveraged Google’s most recognizable equity (the four colors), connecting engineering and marketing together as one branded gesture, and new design language for the brand. This way, we could ensure that no matter which partner was leveraging the new feature, Google would always get the attribution for their innovation, through the subtle use of their most iconic colors. All the credit, in every environment. So every ad by our partners, and every search became an ad for Google.
List the results
“Circle to Search” launched publicly at CES in January of 2024 across select Android smartphones in all languages and all geographies, and will be rolling out to all +3BN devices. It has been featured prominently in campaigns from Google, as well as across key partner’s (Samsung, Verizon etc) marketing, across every channel, globally — generating exponential impressions. Most notably the branded gesture is now influencing the actual search product UI — influencing Google’s most iconic product.
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