Role: Strategy, Insight Development
Project: Google – Shopping AI Campaign
Timeframe: NOV 2024
Deliverables: Insight, Comms Strategy, Creative Platform
Google Shopping
The Google Shopping campaign brought hyper-local, AI-generated ads to New York City — featured on LinkNYC kiosks across neighborhoods and subway stations. Each ad showcased a neighborhood-specific headline, trending products, and positioned Google Shopping as the go-to destination for holiday deals.
Overview
THE APPROACH
My role focused on developing the insight, communications strategy, and creative platform to anchor the campaign.
We wanted the ads to feel human, not robotic — even though they were 100% AI-generated using Google’s foundation models, Gemini and Imagen. I helped craft the strategy that aligned machine-generated content with real-world nuance: local slang, trends, and timely behavior.
How It Worked
Creative System Design:
We built an ensemble of AI functions trained on localized data from Maps and Search. Each function followed tight creative direction — ensuring that every output carried the tone, clarity, and cultural cues needed to connect.Content Evaluation:
I helped develop the rubric for evaluating AI outputs based on brand safety, location relevance, and creative strength — narrowing down hundreds of options to the best few.AI Video Editing Pipeline:
Once content was locked, ads were auto-adjusted for video formats — using AI to sync visuals with dynamic copy.Brand Approval Interface:
Brand managers could view, approve, and deploy ads via an interactive NYC map — a system built to streamline creative sign-off.Real-Time Content Opportunities:
We tested real-time creative during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade — pushing ads that changed pre- and post-parade to prove agility.
Why It Matters
This project didn’t just show off AI — it showed how AI can be creative with strategy. By grounding the tech in cultural relevance and smart insight, we made thousands of ads that felt personal, timely, and local — not robotic.
