Wednesday, Dec. 07, 2011

Dear Sophie — Google

Damn you, Google. You did it to us again. Last year, one of the Web giant's ads, Google Love, chronicled a young man's earnest wooing of a Parisian woman through French-themed searches. This year, Google aims for the tear ducts again with "Dear Sophie." A father stores notes, videos and pictures of his daughter's milestone moments — her birth, her brother's birth (she wanted to name him Salt, we discover), ballet lessons, a face plant on a snowboard — on Gmail. "You are growing up so fast," Dad writes in one subject line. "I've been writing you since you were born. I can't wait to share these with you some day. Until then ... Love, Dad." All this, over a piano and violin score that would make a witch well up.