R/GA’s campaign for Google Australia doesn’t aim to impress Australians with the power of its creativity. It aims to impress Australia with the power of Google AI. The message, and its execution, are pragmatic. The production was powered by AI. The wow factor is the ability of Google AI to support medical research to conquer pressing health challenges.
The campaign shows how Google AI is helping researchers improve the detection of diabetic vision loss and enhance the effectiveness of hearing devices – showing what’s possible when technology joins forces with medical research.
The work is part of Google’s first local campaign focused on AI impact. While AI talk often stays abstract, these stories bring AI down to earth, showing what’s possible when advanced AI tools support the people tackling some of the world’s toughest problems. The two films were directed by Division director, Sanjay De Silva, and the brand campaign is one of the first major executions of the creative platform, More’s Possible, telling two powerful healthcare stories that show a simple truth: when human expertise is amplified by Google AI, extraordinary things happen.
The films form part of a broader commitment by Google to invest in Australia’s digital future. Through its $1 billion Digital Future Initiative, Google is supporting local researchers and institutions to accelerate breakthroughs with Google AI in areas like hearing healthcare and environmental conservation. This work brings together leadingorganisations, including Cochlear, Macquarie University Hearing, The Shepherd Centre and NextSense, to tackle challenges like the “cocktail party problem” and explore new applications of AI and machine learning to develop and improve listening technologies.
The initiative extends to partnerships helping protect Australia’s unique biodiversity, using AI to analyse the sounds of threatened species like the Glossy Black Cockatoo and to help conserve endangered ecosystems like Tasmania’s giant kelp forests.
Importantly, AI didn’t just shape the stories, it helped to tell them. Google’s own AI tools were used throughout production, from early visualisation through to subtle, sensory-driven post-production techniques that brought the stories to life. Google’s Generative AI was used to create realistic background plates for key scenes, replacing on-location shoots with photorealistic environments built in Whisk and Gemini. The integration was intentionally invisible, quietly enhancing the storytelling while reinforcing the core message: technology works best when it’s in the background, making things better. To ground the work, actors with lived experience of diabetes and hearing loss were cast, bringing a deeper level of realism and resonance to the final films.
“Whether it’s improving the effectiveness of hearing aids or helping prevent diabetic vision loss, this campaign demonstrates that more’s possible when medical researchers join forces with
Google AI,” stated Suzana Ristevski, chief marketing officer for Google Australia and New Zealand.
“Thanks to local partners, this groundbreaking work is taking place in Australia right now,” added Rachel Blacklaws, creative director, Australia, at R/GA. “These are stories of possibility made tangible. They show what happens when emerging technology meets the passion and vision of researchers and medical professionals.”
Sanjay De Silva, director at Division, commented, “We wanted to create films that had a subtle, cinematic, and emotionally grounded tone that felt like we were dropped into the middle of these very real settings. It’s not about the technology, it’s about the people, and the possibilities it unlocks.”
The Australia-wide campaign will span broadcast, BVOD, YouTube, digital audio, out-of-home, SVOD, display, and select print formats. Both stories are supported by 30 second films and 15 second cutdowns. A partnership with The Voice will broaden the reach of the brand’s hearing initiative, enhancing its cultural impact, all under Google’s More’s Possible brand platform.
Credits
Client: Google Australia
Chief Marketing Officer, Australia and New Zealand: Suzana Ristevski
Senior Marketing Manager: Freya Harvey
Marketing Managers: Lauren Maxwell & Olivia Ford
Creative Innovation Company: R/GA
Managing Director: Victoria Curro
Chief Creative Officer: Seamus Higgins
Creative Directors: Rachel Blacklaws & Scott Canning
Design Director: Nicholas Hannon
Group Account Director: Josh Agnew
Executive Content Producer: Kyle Belcher
Executive Strategy Director: Marie Conley
Production Company: Division
Director: Sanjay De Silva
Producer: Jane Smith
Managing Director & Executive Producer: Genevieve Triquet
Executive Producer: Karen Bryson
Production Manager: Elaine Roy
DOP: Sam Chiplin
1st AD: Angus Bolles
Art Director: Mike Price
Wardrobe Stylist: Olivia Simpson
Editor: Lucas Baynes
