Google, R/GA Tell Stories of Vision and Hearing Loss to Show 'More's Possible' With AI

Google Australia has launched two new brand films in partnership with R/GA, spotlighting the role Google AI is playing in improving lives across the country, starting with two personal and pressing health challenges: diabetic eye disease and hearing loss.

Part of Google’s first local campaign focused on AI impact, the work heroes the doctors, researchers, and scientists, advancing their work with the help of Google AI. While AI talk often stays abstract, these stories bring AI down to earth, showing what’s possible when advanced AI tools support the people tackling some of the world’s toughest problems.

Directed by Sanjay De Silva (DIVISION), this brand campaign is one of the first major executions of the creative platform, ‘More’s Possible’. It brings to life two powerful healthcare stories that show a simple truth: when human expertise is amplified by Google AI, extraordinary things happen.

The first film, ‘The Sidelines’, follows a doctor working in regional Australia using Google’s AI model for diabetic retinopathy screening to detect early signs of the disease, a leading cause of blindness globally. With results delivered in just a few moments, this AI-powered screening tool is helping researchers bring specialist-level care to communities where it’s often hardest to access.

The second, ‘The Dining Table’, tells the story of a hearing researcher using Google AI to improve the effectiveness of hearing devices . Traditional hearing aids tend to amplify all sound, making it difficult for wearers to distinguish voices in noisy environments. By developing AI models that better prioritise sound, researchers are making it easier for people with hearing loss to stay connected to the moments and conversations that matter most.

The films form part of a broader commitment by Google to invest in Australia’s digital future. Through its $1 billion Digital Future Initiative, Google is supporting local researchers and institutions to accelerate breakthroughs with Google AI in areas like hearing healthcare and environmental conservation. This work brings together leading
organisations, including Cochlear, Macquarie University Hearing, The Shepherd Centre and NextSense, to tackle challenges like the “cocktail party problem” and explore new applications of AI and machine learning to develop and improve listening technologies.

The initiative extends to partnerships helping protect Australia’s unique biodiversity, using AI to analyse the sounds of threatened species like the Glossy Black Cockatoo and to help conserve endangered ecosystems like Tasmania's giant kelp forests.

Importantly, AI didn’t just shape the stories, it helped to tell them. Google’s own AI tools were used throughout production, from early visualisation through to subtle, sensory-driven post-production techniques that brought the stories to life. Google’s Generative AI was used to create realistic background plates for key scenes, replacing on-location shoots with photorealistic environments built in Whisk and Gemini. The integration was intentionally invisible, quietly enhancing the storytelling while reinforcing the core message: technology works best when it’s in the background, making things better. To ground the work, actors with lived experience of diabetes and hearing loss were cast, bringing a deeper level of realism and resonance to the final films.

“Whether it’s improving the effectiveness of hearing aids or helping prevent diabetic vision loss, this campaign demonstrates that more’s possible when medical researchers join forces with Google AI,” said Suzana Ristevski, chief marketing officer for Google Australia and New Zealand. “Thanks to local partners, this groundbreaking work is taking place in Australia right now.”

Rachel Blacklaws, creative director, Australia, at R/GA said, “These are stories of possibility made tangible. They show what happens when emerging technology meets the passion and vision of researchers and medical professionals.”

Sanjay De Silva, director at DIVISION, said,"We wanted to create films that had a subtle, cinematic, and emotionally grounded tone that felt like we were dropped into the middle of these very real settings. It’s not about the technology, it’s about the people, and the possibilities it unlocks.”

Launching nationally on September 7th, the campaign will span broadcast, BVOD, YouTube, digital audio, out-of-home, SVOD, display, and select print formats. Both stories are supported by 30 second films and 15 second cutdowns. A partnership with The Voice will broaden the reach of the brand's hearing initiative, enhancing its cultural impact, all under Google’s ‘More’s Possible’ brand platform.