Tech companies like to push limits as they aim to change things up, but their ads don’t always land well. Google’s latest commercial tried promoting its AI, but it seriously backfired.
It’s common for tech giants to push boundaries with new ideas. But sometimes their advertising takes things too far into cringe territory. Over the years, we’ve seen this play out where the reaction is so negative that the only option is removal. Now Google joins this group with an ad for the Olympics that missed the mark.
The “Dear Sydney” video showed a dad helping his daughter write to her favorite track athlete. Instead of helping her craft a personal letter through practice, they use AI to write it for her. While the AI version was meant as a draft, many felt it robbed the child of a learning experience.
The backlash was immediate. Google has now pulled the ad from its Olympic lineup. Though it’s still viewable on YouTube, comments are off. A spokesperson said feedback led them to “phase out” the commercial.
While tech innovations aim to simplify tasks, this missed that writing letters can build skills. Google likely wanted to showcase AI’s abilities, but the execution just didn’t work. The takeaway is that tech promotions need thoughtful approaches to avoid unintended implications. With more awareness, perhaps future ads will find better ways to promote new tech.
