We’re living during a time when fake news and misinformation are an everyday occurrence in our online lives. Unfortunately, the phenomenon has arisen at the same time as a rapidly increasing number of people have begun to get their news from social media and other online platforms.

Navigating the endless amount of information across the internet can be intimidating, especially when that information is confusing or conflicting. Google’s new campaign, Let’s Internet Better, is a direct response to this challenge.

Aimed largely at Gen Z, the campaign’s key aim is to build trust and awareness of Google’s information literacy tools, as well as getting people to think critically about the information they come across online.

The PSA has been brought to life primarily on YouTube and TikTok, and seeks to embody Gen Z’s tone, humour and aesthetics in an informative yet entertaining way. Key creative elements include a series of amusing animated videos that lean into the trend of self-aware ads we’ve seen of late.

@google Do you stan for a better Internet? Try our Google search tools fam #LetsInternetBetter ♬ original sound – Google

The brand’s content and influencers on TikTok have focused on narrating how-to scenarios, such as reverse image searching a picture of a ‘walking tree’ that appears in your feed, while interactive in-feed tutorials on Instagram Stories are teaching people how to use Google Search tools.

Google Search senior marketing director, Rebecca Michael, says: “With this campaign, we wanted to speak directly to Gen Z, digital natives who shape much of today’s internet culture.

“By partnering with them to think critically about the information they come across online and arming them with the tools and resources to check the facts and ensure credibility, we hope they’ll set the pace for others and help us make the internet a safer, better place.”

google.co.uk