Google Paid Big Money To Troll Amazon At Its Cloud Conference

B2B brands exploit every opportunity to capture attention, especially during high-profile industry conferences.

For the uninitiated, strolling through the gantries of a bustling airport terminal or the avenues leading to convention centers, the sight is familiar — large-scale ads unfurled by tech behemoths vying for the gaze of potential customers.

In the corporate tussle for cloud dominance, Google Cloud, a contender in the cloud computing arena, orchestrated a savvy advertising gambit during Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) annual re:Invent conference. AWS is currently the “Goliath” in the cloud computing space, with an estimated 33% market share.

In a display of both audacity and marketing acumen, Google Cloud commandeered the MSG Sphere, the latest visual marvel in Las Vegas.

The innovative advertisement depicted a dazzling constellation of petabytes worth of data, elegantly coalescing into Google’s cloud logo—a spectacle inspired by the artistry of generative AI. The advertisement then breaks into a slogan that says, “A New Way To Cloud.”

This strategic placement of Google Cloud’s ad was not coincidental, with the Sphere’s screen — boasting 1.2 million luminescent LEDs — scheduled for an aggressive campaign. Google projected the Chrome logo the previous week, during the inaugural Las Vegas Formula 1 race.

Google Cloud started running ads on Monday, and will continue to do so through Sunday. The Sphere will run two, 90-second long spots every hour from 9AM to 7 PM and 11 PM to 3 AM, Las Vegas time. Google will also “take over” the Sphere entirely on Tuesday and Wednesday night from 7 to 11 PM.

The takeovers coincide with AWS’ re:Invent’s networking receptions happening at The Venetian, where the MSG Sphere is located.

While the reaction from AWS remains to be seen, the industry is abuzz with anticipation as to whether they might respond in kind when Google hosts its Cloud Next ’24.

It is yet to be seen if Amazon plans to advertise on the Sphere when Google hosts its own cloud computing conference, Cloud Next ’24, in Las Vegas next year after several years at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Google will hold the event from April 9-11 in 2024.

The cost of capturing eyes on the Sphere is no small sum, with reports suggesting the going rate for such advertising splendor runs as high as $450,000 a day, or $650,000 for a week-long stint.