Really.
A new website lets you ask Google to predict your future, but the results have a major catch.
Google can do many things.
It is a dictionary, a (questionable) doctor and an oracle.
But now, it’s purporting to be able to tell your future as well.
Google Fortunetelling lets you ask a question about your future, but before you can finish your sentence, it auto-prompts you to write “Where can I find a safe place?”
You can choose to edit this question and ask your own, or simply click enter and let it direct you to the results page.
The results page does not predict your future though. Instead it asks you to focus your mind on the millions of refugees who are currently displaced and questioning their own future.
The text on the page reads:
“OF COURSE WE CAN’T PREDICT YOUR FUTURE!
But 60 million refugees ask themselves every day if they have a future at all. So we used a fake Google-site to get your attention because apparently you were interested in your own future. Please take a moment to think of their future.
With this project we want to create awareness. We need structural solutions on political level for this growing European problem. Please feel free to donate your time, money or love and spread the word.
Suggestions:
Please check local initiatives
Or donate to one of the charities”
The page then links to The UN Refugee Agency where you can make a donation to help refugees. It also redirects you to Google photos and videos of refugees should you click on “images of refugees” or “videos of refugees”.
According to Digiday, the initiative comes from BrainMedia, a creative communications agency based in the Netherlands.
The owner of BrainMedia, Jort Boot, told Digiday, “The campaign is very successful worldwide right now; it’s amazing. We are very happy that people care about this problem and are sharing it and creating awareness around the world.”
It’s an innovative and powerful tool that provides another way to cut through with this incredibly important message.
In our opinion, that’s worth duping people for.