The Made by Google event felt like being sucked into an episode of Wandavision

In the past twenty years, I have had a clear image of what a product launch is supposed to be. A charismatic leader crosses the scene, indicates certain animations and pre-quasted clips, one or two live demo occurs, and the crowd is unleashed. The clips proliferate on social networks and indicate online discourse. You can trace him to Steve Jobs dressed in a black turtleneck, with a glow in his eyes, walking on a stage, asking if an audience in force is ready for one more thing. This format was so emblematic, it is the plan of almost all technological speeches since.

The event today produced by Google was definitely not that.

It was much more like a live recording of THE Tonight show With Jimmy Fallon. Partly because Fallon was the one who hosted him, but also because 10 minutes before the show, I was sitting in the studio audience, looking at a warm -up comic strip try to inflate the crowd while an applause panel flamboyed in the rafters. A small team of cameras has woven in and out of four separate sets, a rolling of a telepromitator (because yes, a large part of the district was scripted).

Rick Osterloh, main vice-president of Google’s devices and services, did not cross the scene to tell us the new Pixel 10, Pixel Watch 4 and Pixel Buds 2A phones. He was rather sitting on a comfortable chair while Fallon “interviewed” him as if he were a Tonight show guest. Pre -recorded clips have been rolled. Once the Osterloh segment is finished, Fallon and another Googler have moved to another set, proceeding to cover each new gadget as if we were all watched the QVC sales network. Surprise guests and a parade of influencers have been highlighted to present new Gemini features, including Alex Cooper and the Subway Takes Guy. A wild brother of Jonas appeared because he had a clip of “Tour on Pixel 10 Pro” at his first.

It was perhaps the cognitive dissonance of the figures that I have never seen through a YAP screen on AI’s features, I am not 100% convinced that they understood. (I don’t buy Fallon is that Excited by tensor fleas or even knows what dust and waterproofing of “IP numbers!” are.) But I found myself feeling like I was sucked in an episode of WandavisionA Marvel program where the scarlet witch is trapped in an imaginary world of studio series and television trophies. A spectacle where the grin of the teeth and the increased emotions is what indicates the protagonist to achieve what she sees is made of smoke and mirrors.

Part of this is only the magic of the film, baby. Everything on stage seems to cringe until its intensity is diluted by being filtered through your screen. But the real disturbing thing was to understand that I – and other gadgets and media – were not the target audience of this program. The goal of a keynote is to be both informative and impressive, telling the most interested public on the ins and outs of new products and try to impress them with live demos and technological exploits. Today’s Pixel event was less concerned about mini products and more anxious to make it entertaining.

I am not quite sure who targets it wasHowever. Was he supposed to be the so-called Luddite general public who feels comforted by Fallon by learning what RCS means? Maybe. Or was it dissatisfied with young people from Gen Z, attracted by the metro, it is to do shilling for wireless buds when he used a cable microphone for his recorded segment? Or was it the faceless masses who may be fed up with their iPhones? By teaching Fallon on RCS, the Googler on stage said that Google was “finished with this conversation” on green bubbles and the wink, the pixel team is not afraid to say the “word A”. I’m not sure that even Google knows who targets, except “someone new”.

Trapped in my seat – we were told that once the recording started, we could not Leave, even if we had to pee – it came to my mind that it may have been long. It’s like my colleague Mia Sato mentioned in her recent Vergecast Episode: With declining television, celebrities must use a range of different online outlets to promote their work. Maybe Google does the same. At the time, jobs needed media to pass the word and create buzz. In this new age, companies can go directly to the source through influencers, YouTube (that Google also has) and Livestreams. This is why you see an increasing number of influencers invited to launch events – and to present it. There were many today. It is not that journalists are excluded. It is more than the cover as we know it No The only way to draw attention.

All I know is today that the end of an era. It is not necessarily a bad thing. I admit that traditional Keynotes have been attentive lately. As grilled as it is, it was at least something different.