Google released a heartwarming ad on the 13th November which has already crossed half a million views within 24 hours of being uploaded on Youtube. The three and a half minute emotional ad is hugely refreshing from the usual adverts that come from the immensely competitive tech world featuring playful banter or even resorting to murky mud-slinging between rivals. The video advert named ‘Reunion’ is a part of a series has gone viral on Youtube and other social networking sites. It shows how Google helps two childhood friends separated by the 1947 India-Pakistan partition are reunited. Those who are unaware of the demographics and the politics of the subcontinent: The two countries, post-partition, share a love-hate relationship, clipping only the extremities of the spectrum, and Google India has tried to hit a soft spot by picking up this topic.
[catch the ad after the jump]
In the ad, an old man in India reminiscing memories of his childhood friend separated by the partition, tells about it to his granddaughter. The woman uses the information she gets from her grandfather to track down his lost friend in the city of Lahore, Pakistan with the help of Google search. She successfully reunites both of them on the eve of her grandfather’s birthday as a surprise for him. It’s a beautiful story packed into a three minute ad showcasing cinematic brilliance! The ad can be watched with English subtitles for people who don’t understand Hindi and Urdu.
The ad made by Ogilvy has received rave reviews with comments on Youtube claiming it to be one of the best ads. Google, in the recent past, is trying to shed it ‘evil-company’ image and is in middle of an image makeover. The company is hard at work trying to integrate all its services into one big hub. With the help of this ad, Google is trying to market its devices and services in a very subtle and pleasing manner and also shows the power of its search engine. Though this is an ad with actors, but recently Google did come up with a real story where a man was reunited to his biological mother with the help of Google search and maps. It’s one the most amazing things I have ever come across.
[Via – Youtube]