"The idea of Google Wallet and the simplicity that it brings to commerce is revolutionary. It’s almost the equivalent of the flying car. And the branding is smart and easy just like the product." —juror Madison Wharton Marks
"We all know this is the future of how we pay and it's done in the simple Google way. Love it." —juror Perry Fair
Overview: When Google developed its new mobile payment technology, R/GA helped brand, design and market the user experience. Changing the way people shop, it transforms a smartphone into a wallet by holding all credit and debit cards, loyalty cards and offers and makes for something as easy as a simple tap of your phone. The project included the design of the logo, an app interface and an online platform to show consumers the magic. Merchant kits and videos showed retailers how it worked and an online campaign showed everyone else all the things that can be bought with a simple tap—from a new suit at Macy's to a cab-ride downtown. www.google.com/wallet
• The mark conveys the use of NFC (near-field communication) technology that allows for wireless tapping, suggests how the service works and doubles as a W.
• The Tapping Spree—launched at the Times Square American Eagle Outfitters flagship store—gave consumers an opportunity to demo the technology.
• The businesses in New York City already accepting Google Wallet include Macy's, Jamba Juice, Subway, American Eagle Outfitters and the New York Transit Authority.
Comments by Jonathan Greene:
How did your relationship with the client evolve over the course of the project? "Our ability to deliver successfully and prove ourselves in one area (branding) quickly led to more involvement in the user experience design of the product. As things progressed, there were additional opportunities to collaborate and our team delivered on sales collateral, merchant marketing the press launch event and the eventual consumer marketing as well. There was no way to foresee the complexity of the relationship, but the startup nature of the client team and its flexibility resulted in a healthy working structure and considerably more opportunities for our team."
Were there any specific demands that made the project easier or harder? "The initial phase of experience design was handled via a combined team. Our visual and experience designers worked as an extension of the product design team at Google; there was a high degree of collaboration, frequent sprints, design explorations and continuous contact. Because of the closeness, we needed to be less precious with the deliverables of the day, yet still focused on sharing well-considered work. The confidentiality as well as tight timeline required a very small team to work in relative isolation from the broader agency. This was liberating in many ways as we were far more nimble than on more typical assignments."
