In a series of TV spots, Mindy Kaling urges viewers to Google “that place where Coke tastes so good,” and the spot even ends with a $1 any-size Coke offer.
But Kaling never says McDonald’s in the spots or in a series of funny tweets. (She is, however, wearing a bright yellow dress in front of a red background – which is still a strong visual reference for a brand as established as McDonald’s.)
The tactic is meant to play into teen and twenty-something broadcast viewing behavior, which involves second screening as well as a propensity for self-research when they see something interesting.
It appears the campaign was supported with a keyword-focused PR outreach (or maybe advertorial), as the search was likely meant to direct users to articles like this one from Thrillist, which was published before the TV spots aired. However, after the broadcast launched, those articles were quickly overtaken in Google rankings by news outlets reporting on the campaign itself. Which begs the question – is the campaign simply buzzworthy or truly strategic? Will the target audience do it once, for novelty? Or will the idea of TV intriguing and driving search become a more established approach, the hashtag of tomorrow?