Win: Google pulls our heartstrings
Set to an inspiring piano and violin track that climaxes at just the right moment, Google Chrome's ad, entitled "Dear Sophie," depicts a father creating a digital scrapbook composed of notes, pictures, and videos for his daughter using multiple Chrome features. The scrapbook chronicles landmark moments in Sophie's life -- her birth, first birthday, brother's birth, snowboarding face-plants, bike rides, and ballet lessons. It all concludes on the father's note for his daughter: "I've been writing you since you were born. I can't wait to share these with you some day. Until then...Love, Dad."
The video is brought to a close with the words, "Daniel Lee, Dad," which makes clear the ad's target. Not only does the video depict a caring father's close relationship with his daughter, but it also presents a tech savvy dad who employs his digital skills to narrate his daughter's life, which reflects both an evolving social perception of dad's parental role and his embrace of new technology.
A recent study conducted by Microsoft Advertising found that pre-family men ("18 to 34-year-olds who are just dipping their toes into adulthood") spend 10 or more hours a day "multitasking between their PC, smartphone, tablet, and gaming console." These same men are heavily influenced by media: "66 percent are influenced by TV advertising, while 50 percent are influenced by online advertising, and 44 percent are influenced by online search results." The "Dear Sophie" video indicates Google's awareness of the new dad's experience with connected devices and their susceptibility to media. But, more importantly, the video depicts a nurturing father whose emotional connection with his daughter is on full digital display.
