When Google rules the world

Just when I thought Google had dug into the pop culture landscape as much as possible, the No. 1 search engine went ahead and dominated Super Bowl commercials.

As is the design of the Google landing page, the Super Bowl commercial was clean and simple. The message was simple, too: Google is the one search engine you need to navigate every single step of your life. But the way it was presented, telling the story of life, love and family, well, it brought a tiny tear to my eye. That's good ... no, that's brilliant branding.

I don't imagine I soon will forget the Google Super Bowl commercial. As someone who goes to the site multiple times a day, including on my mobile device, I appreciate the company's added entertainment value. It was like a little romantic comedy all wrapped up with real-time typing mistakes and a he-gets-the-girl happy ending.

The Super Bowl is one of the few times I watch commercials anymore — thanks, DVR — and this one took home the trophy for me.