The Olympics are a time to celebrate the world's athletes and their stories, but as the world tunes in, they also become an opportunity for compelling advertisements.
Google (GOOGL) 's new advertisement is the most talked-about one, but for the wrong reasons.
The ad attempted to capitalize on the connection between young athletes and their Olympic idols through a heartfelt letter to promote their AI assistant, but it felt like a cheap take on an important moment.
The ad is from a father's viewpoint. His daughter is a runner who hopes to one day become just like her idol, current Olympian Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
To help her connect with her idol, he decides to help his daughter write a letter to Sydney, but instead of a pen and paper, he asks Gemini.
The prompt: "Help my daughter write a letter telling Sydney how inspiring she is. And be sure to mention that my daughter plans on breaking her world record. She says sorry, not sorry."
Google Olympics ad misses mark
Rather than showcasing the relatable authenticity of a girl's admiration of an Olympic hero, the ad highlighted a reliance on technology that many viewers found impersonal.
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Large company advertisements have been done correctly before, such as P&G's (PG) "Thank You Mom" advertisement for the 2012 London Olympics.
This ad celebrated athletes' personal stories across cultures in a relatable and touching way. The ad emphasized the core message and values of the Olympics and touched people's hearts globally.
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In contrast, Google's AD didn't meet the same favorable fate but quickly incited social media reactions.
Social Media lambasts Google's Olympics ad
Will Leitch, the writer and founder of the sports blog Deadspin, criticized the advertisement on X. His post was reposted more than 3,000 times.
The Google commercial where the dad has his daughter use AI to construct a note to her favorite athlete rather than encourage her to write what she actually wants to tell her hero takes a little chunk out of my soul every time I see it.
— Will Leitch (@williamfleitch) July 28, 2024
Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, an award-winning children's book author, reacted with sadness:
Seeing that Google Gemini AI ad really hurt my heart as someone who has taught writing to many young kids. Suggesting a child that young should use AI to write a letter to their Olympic hero is a suggestion to steal important experiences from that child
— Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow (@jtbigelow) July 28, 2024
Instead of celebrating the genuine human connections and stories that inspire us, the ad inserted an artificial layer that felt out of place in a moment meant to be deeply personal and authentic.
The reality of Olympic inspiration
Google's use of the Olympics as a promotional tool for artificial intelligence undermined the authenticity of the story it tried to tell.
In reality, many Olympians experienced moments of inspiration by looking up to their own idols.
Current Olympian Simone Biles recalls looking up to the athletes before her:
"Growing up, you don't see a lot of African American gymnasts. I remember when Gabby Douglas won, I was like, 'Oh my gosh, if she can do it, then I can do it.'"
We humans are inspired by our surroundings and motivated by the success of others to create it ourselves.
These athletes remind us that at the heart of every achievement is a human being with dreams and a story to tell, one never to be overshadowed by the disconnect between Silicon Valley's vision of the future and the real-world experiences and values of everyday people.
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