The Brief

Google wanted to take on the giants (IE, Safari, Firefox) and launch Chrome in Asia. The challenge here was that Google didn't want to tell people, they wanted to SHOW people that Chrome is not just different, it's better, in the way Google search is. They wanted to tell stories THROUGH technology, not ABOUT technology. They wanted the communication to show technical wonders in a way that touches head and hearts and creates an emotional connection to Chrome capabilities. Google's ambition was to display the endless possibilities the web can bring through Chrome.

Describe how the promotion developed from concept to implementation

To demonstrate that Chrome is not your traditional browser, we decided to show Chrome's capabilities through the use of a traditional story that resonates with Asians: the Ramayana epic. Ramayana has been told in various forms through the ages in Asia. We re-told this popular epic through an interactive Chrome Experiment, integrating Chrome features and Google services. The interactive experience incorporated WebGL and HTML5 to show off Chrome's processing power. In Indonesia where the Chrome Experiment was first launched, the campaign was seeded in active online communities and released through online trailers and banners, gaining traction as it went viral.

Describe the success of the promotion with both client and consumer including some quantifiable results

When we revealed the interactive story to Asia, the crowd went wild. Opening with about 170,000 visits in the first 2 weeks, with various mentions from local blogs and news articles. The experience went on to make waves in the rest of the world, even picking up a FWA Site of the Month ribbon along the way, making Chrome a legend.

Explain why the method of promotion was most relevant to the product or service

In Indonesia where the Chrome Experiment was first launched, the sense of community is very strong. People love to explore and share new ideas in like-minded groups. Riding on that mentality, we seeded the Chrome Experiment to active online communities who are interested in web development, design and technology. We also seeded a trailer of the interactive experience online, and released web banners which give people a snippet of the experience. We targeted online spaces where people are most likely to click through to the interactive experience straightaway - so they can experience Chrome's cutting edge capabilities for themselves.