Googles newest ad campaign for the Motorola Droid is really big – as in tall. Google has rented ad space on the Reuters Sign and the NASDAQ sign in Times Square, NY between 12:30-2:00pm and 6:30-8:00pm. The screens display how their newly improved Search by Voice feature, which now comes with all Android devices such as the Motorola Droid, works.
Search by voice allows you to search for business information, like you would do via Google, without having to enter text. You just say the name of the business you are looking for, and the Google search results for that business show up. The Times Square campaign allows anyone to dial 888-376-4336, use the Search by Voice system, and then watch as their Google search results are displayed on one of the two digital signs.
The Search by Voice feature seems like a nice system, but I’m not really convinced that typing the name of the business that I need information about is really that difficult. I mean you have to look at the screen to read the search results anyway, so typing the information in eliminates the need to raise and lower that phone to your head, which you would need to do to use Search by Voice (nitpicking, I know). I’m just surprised that Google is proud enough of the feature to drop so much money on this type of campaign.
