We all have that one person we care about who’s still making destructive choices. No, they’re not addicted to drugs or alcohol. They’re using an email service that’s not Google’s Gmail.
Actually, it’s a clever and hilarious campaign by Google to get your contacts who are still using “embarrassing” email providers to switch to Gmail. They’re calling it an “Email Intervention.”
The video on the page is hotted by Dr. Richard Muscat, an “intervention specialist.”
“You’ve probably been improving the lives of your friends and family by helping them switch to Gmail,” Dr. Muscat says, showing slides of happy people, including surgeons, happily signing up for their Gmail accounts. “But we all have that one friend,” he says, cutting the strings of a bouquet of balloons with happy faces drawn on them, leaving them to float up to the ceiling, revealing one with a sad face. That friend still emails you from an “embarassingly otudated email addressm that should be laid to rest like so many other items of its time.” He then gestures to a floppy disk, a portable CD player, a VHS tape, and a scrunchie.
Dr. Muscat then points out all the things they are being left out of, such as video chat and free phone calls. He then points out the Email Intervention web site. You can specify a person you want to send an email too, or import your Gmail contacts. You’ll then be prompted to create a customized letter, allowing you express your heartfelt concern over their well-being and steer them away from their self-destructive lifestyles.
Of course, Google isn’t being completely unselfish. The more subscribers they have, the more eyeballs they have to push their ads to. But the premise is still pretty funny, whether you’re a Gmail user or not.
If you like this, be sure to check out our post on how to create your own Gmail theme. Depending on what hemisphere you’re in, it might be too hot for one, but you’ll also like the Gmail sweatshirt.
