Super Bowl ad triggers viewers' Google Home devices
At least something was listening
Today held the biggest sporting event of the year in the US and for those who weren't able or willing to shell out thousands of dollars to catch the game at the stadium, watching at home was the next best thing. That means taking in all the new ad campaigns that revolve around the event.
And among all the excitement, Google found an ingenious way to make its campaign for the Home devices work very well for the company.
In the very touching ad, people say, “Okay, Google,” to make the Home units light up. This simultaneously activated numerous Google Home devices all around the nation. Minutes later Twitter was inundated with comments on how the ad triggered their own devices at home.
Google Home commercial kept setting mine off! They need to chill it with the "okay Google"-ing.February 5, 2017
The Google Home commercial turned on my Google Home. She's the only person in my house who listens to me.February 5, 2017
As it turns out, the units in viewers’ homes tried responding to the voices in the ad as if they were real people, causing some units to have hilarious meltdowns.
And, for a change, Alexa didn’t follow suit. Amazon Echo devices were quiet this time round, unlike the time when a news story about a Texan six-year-old ordering a dollhouse prompted a not-so-smart Alexa-powered shopping spree to ensue in San Diego.
You can watch Google's Super Bowl commercial below.
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Sharmishta is TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor and loves all things photography, something she discovered while chasing monkeys in the wilds of India (she studied to be a primatologist but has since left monkey business behind). While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, she's also an avid reader and has become a passionate proponent of ereaders, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about the convenience of these underrated devices. When she's not testing camera kits or the latest in e-paper tablets, she's discovering the joys and foibles of smart home gizmos. She's also the Australian Managing Editor of Digital Camera World and, if that wasn't enough, she contributes to T3 and Tom's Guide, while also working on two of Future's photography print magazines Down Under.