Google Doodles

Playful. Informative. Refreshing. Brand power.

That’s how I would describe the doodles that appear on Google’s home page. The varied illustrations have honoured countries, individuals, special days and moments in history.

Early doodles, which date back to 1998, merely spelled the name Google with a sprinkling of decorative details. Now, doodles range from works of art to multimedia celebrations (e.g., the Les Paul guitar you can strum with your cursor).

One of the most wildly popular doodles appeared on May 21, 2010, when Google commemorated PAC-MAN’s 30th anniversary with an interactive doodle encouraging people to play the retro video game.

Last week, I was pleased to see that Google launched an official archive for its doodles: http://www.google.com/doodles/finder. Now if only Google would let me embed selected doodles for your viewing pleasure. Instead, the best I can do is provide you with links to my favourite doodles of 2011:


My best picks from earlier years include:


Most companies protect their logos from even the slightest deviations; whereas, Google brings its logo to life with unmistakable creativity that I would argue strengthens the company’s brand. That is marketing genius and those doodles are  

      AWESOME!

Did a doodle ever stand out for you? If so, share your favourites in the comments section below.  

P.S. Have an idea for a future doodle? Just email your suggestions to proposals@google.com and the doodlers and illustrators will consider your idea. There are no guarantees your inspiration will make it to Google’s home page though, because the company receives hundreds of submissions daily.

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