Google - Year in Search 2024 (Case Study) | Campaign

Google - Year in Search 2024 (Case Study) | Campaign Background: 2024 was full of moments no one saw coming. People craved Dr Pepper and Pickles, fell in love with a baby hippo called Moo Deng, obsessed over an Olympian nicknamed “Pommel Horse Guy,” and Gen Z experienced the unhinged “brat summer.” For the first time, Google framed its annual Year in Search through Breakout Searches—terms that spiked 5000%+ in search interest—capturing the emerging cultural shifts and defining moments of 2024. Creative Idea: The campaign highlighted the biggest Breakout moments that shaped 2024. A first-of-its-kind Year in Search Doodle on the Google homepage led tens of millions to the longform hero film on YouTube. Social media featured dozens of Breakout fandom-centric films and a mini treasure hunt inviting people to search for trends to unlock 15+ easter eggs. Hundreds of custom Trends lists were published across 70+ countries in collaboration with major news outlets. Insights & Strategy: Google’s strategy focused on trends that spiked more than 5000% in a short period, using proprietary social data to identify Breakout Searches that resonated with fans. This approach ensured the campaign authentically reflected cultural moments, engaged fandoms, and provided creatives with a data-driven foundation to develop the most watched Year in Search ever. Execution: Thousands of Breakout trends were evaluated to select the most culturally resonant. The long-form hero film showcased record-breaking Olympians, country music revivals, brat summer, and Moo Deng. Social media content targeted fandoms in music, gaming, sports, and entertainment. The campaign included a social media treasure hunt with 16 easter eggs, the first-of-its-kind Doodle driving viewers to YouTube, and global Trend lists published in over 4.2k articles. Across 300+ assets, the Google Search bar served as a unifying design element. Results: The campaign achieved 765 million video views, becoming the most-viewed Year in Search and Google’s most positive brand moment of 2024. The hero film saw a 10x YoY increase in organic views on launch day, trending #8 on YouTube. Fandom-centric social films reached millions (Stray Kids: 4.7M views on IG). The campaign generated widespread cultural impact with parodies, UGC, and media mentions, resulting in a 6X lift in Year in Search conversation on Meta. Trend lists appeared in 4.2k+ articles, and 15+ Easter eggs in Search engaged millions globally. Credits: Media Agency: Essence / New York Client / Brand: Google / Mountain View Production Company: Meister / Portland; Leading Edge Productions / Palm Springs Post Production Company: 2WEI Music / Berlin; Lucky Day / Portland Research & Insights: Canvas 8 / London; Human8 / Royal Oak Strategy & Innovation: The Upside / London