Google’s emotional ‘Year in Search 2024’ film spotlights the year’s ‘breakout’ searches

As 2024 approaches its conclusion and end-of-year lists begin trickling in reminding us of what was and what could have been, Google has released its 14th annual global Year In Search film—part of a broader overall campaign—giving us the highs and lows of a captivating year in just under four minutes.

Produced by Google Brand Studio, the anthem film, which has already garnered nearly 14 million views, once again breaks down the top trending searches across pop culture and lifestyle, sports, music, news and other moments, people and contributions that shaped and defined the year at a breakneck pace. But for the first time in the campaign’s history, the film focuses on what the search engine calls “breakout” searches—defined as “a search term that has increased in popularity by more than 5,000% in 2024, as compared to 2023.”

Some of the year’s more uplifting “breakouts” include the Kendrick Lamar earworm “Not Like Us,” the rise of country music, the Paris 2024 Olympics (and separately, star gymnasts Simone Biles and Stephen “Pommel Horse Guy” Nedoroscik), Moo Deng the baby pygmy hippo, Pixar’s Inside Out 2, singer Celine Dion’s triumphant return to the world stage, hoops star Caitlin Clark and 17-year-old soccer phenom Lamine Yamal. Honorable mentions also go to celestial moments such as the solar eclipse and aurora borealis. 

The more sobering “breakouts” touched on devastating natural disasters and some of the most consequential global elections in history, with the U.S. presidential election gripping the world’s attention. Interestingly, Donald Trump, who was featured in the video as president-elect, ranked No. 1 in Google’s “People” search category, and No. 6 in overall global searches, whereas Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden, who were not featured, ranked No. 3 and No. 5, respectively.    

“2024 was a year of unexpected events and inspiring breakthroughs, from Olympians to natural wonders to everyday heroes,” Google Brand Studio executive creative director KK Walker told Campaign. “It was full of moments and people—and one very cute hippo—you might never have heard of before, but which you can’t live without now. We wanted to lean into those things that experienced a meteoric rise in search interest and left an indelible mark. That’s why we’re looking back at the year through the lens of ‘breakout searches.’ It's also a chance for us to pause and appreciate the moments that shaped us all.”

In addition to publishing hundreds of top-10 trending search lists for the year spanning across the globe, the campaign also entails a social, fan-first strategy intended to drive engagement with the anthem film and trend lists. Users are encouraged to find Easter eggs in the film by decoding emoji puzzle clues describing search terms on social media. 

Google will have a cross-platform social activation with top fandoms and individuals across sports, music, gaming and anime to celebrate breakout searches and their status. 

Walker says this year’s campaign will invite users in on the fun with opportunities for engagement, some of which include access to a collection of breakout albums on YouTube, a Play Store takeover spotlighting breakout games and a 10-episode podcast series on YouTube that walks users through the 2024 breakout and trending searches.