Sports Illustrated / Google
From Challenge to 21.7M+ Views
Making Ads People Want to Watch
Create branded content audiences would watch—not skip:
Audience Challenge
Capture Gen Z attention in a scroll-past culture where branded content gets skipped.
Platform Challenge
Create organic-feeling content that performs natively on social while showcasing product.
Technical Challenge
Google Shopping UX wasn't ready—all phone content captured and replaced in post.
Strategic Storytelling
Multi-layered approach combining scroll-stopping hooks with seamless product integration:
Data-Driven Hook
Social listening revealed Sam's beard was a signature fan topic—opening with a "shaving jump-scare" to stop the scroll.
Trend Amplification
Leveraged popular "day in the life" format to feel native, not disruptive.
Visual Integration
Motion graphics overlay of Google Shopping UX. → See VFX details
Cross-Platform Distribution
Multi-channel rollout across Sports Illustrated, Sam Hartman, and Shop with Google accounts.
Viral Performance
Paid campaign optimized by platform algorithms—authentic engagement drove 21.7M+ views:
"The only ad I've ever watched and liked"
"i watched this ad all the way through"
Motion Graphics & VFX Integration
Google provided only a basic PNG layout with empty product boxes and no descriptions. We rotoscoped custom motion graphics onto the phone screen, sourcing and styling unique products to create a polished, functional UX demo that seamlessly integrated into the live-action footage.
Strategic Storytelling Framework
Frames 1-6: Building The Narrative
From morning routine to facility arrival, training sessions, discovering Google Shopping, and setting up the team gift reveal.
Frames 7-8: The Payoff
Team reactions and authentic moments bring emotional closure while maintaining entertainment priority.
What People Were Saying
The only ad I've ever watched and liked
I want my hair like that so bad
my fyp knows me so well.
LMAOOO we all watched all of it huh
Result: A creative that blurred the line between influencer storytelling and product demo — translating Google's product functionality into relatable, social-first entertainment that actually made people stay for the ad.
Produced via agency partnership for Sports Illustrated × Google