There are very few people in the world who aren’t excited for the remake of the beloved Beauty and the Beast. There has been endless coverage and hype surrounding the film and its actors with people going into Disney overload. It doesn’t seem to be just big kids though - Google Home seems to be quite excited about it too. Google home devices can offer their users information about the day. This information generally includes information such as the date, time and weather. However, on the fateful morning of the Beauty and the Beast premier, Google Home also decided to remind its users that it would be showing that evening in cinemas. Many Google Home owners were angered by what appeared as paid advertisement on their personal devices, frustrated by the infringement of privacy. However, Google has responded to the backlash saying, “this wasn’t intended to be an ad. What’s circulating online was a part of our My Day feature”. A spokesperson then further states that this feature was introduced in order to provide Google Home users with current events and news in their area. Whether this particular instance was an advertisement or not, there certainly is potential for this type of advertising to develop. So the argument is, why should these ‘assistant’ devices be any different? Is it the personal and private nature of the device? Or is it just another platform for brands to communicate with their audience?
