Google takes a turn for TV with NOVA commercial

Via ZDNet's Google blog, the first known Google TV commercial is attractive screen candy. The spot feels like a trip through the galaxy with a search field populating with "egyptology" and then panning video of pyramids. To further titillate the explorer in you, the search field then populates with "astronomy" and zooms into a starry space scene followed by a sedate image of the Google homepage and the search field populating with "NOVA."









I think it's easy to see that a NOVA sponsorship is an appropriate placement for Google and just happens to be a convenient way of making a baby step into capturing an audience from a new medium. Other similar comments are available in this discussion of the ad spots. NOVA targets well-educated and deep-pocketed middle-agers, and so a sponsorship by Google of this program is really just a way of pointing out to this audience sector that Google can bring them the same kind of exploration that NOVA does. If ever Google were to take that step of a first advertisement on a medium, then this is the way to do it: sleekly, responsibly, and with targeting that doesn't waste a dollar.