It's safe to say The Last of Us is one of HBO's biggest successes of 2023. Pedro Pascal as the frail Joel and Bella Ramsey as the sassy Ellie are warming fans' hearts as they trek across America to find the Fireflies. It's all in the hopes her blood can be used to create a cure for the Cordyceps fungal infection.
In addition to enjoying a high viewership each week, HBO's The Last of Us adaptation has been critically acclaimed by critics, avid gamers of the Naughty Dog property, as well as casual viewers. While The Last of Us continues growing in popularity, HBO's not the only company capitalizing on the show's success. Google is having fun with it as well, as evidenced by a marketing stunt that infects viewers' searches.
Google Spreads the Cordyceps Disease
Google's marketing gimmick is for desktop platforms like Windows, macOS, Linux and ChromeOS, as well mobile platforms such as iOS and Android. When users search for "The Last of Us" on Google, a red mushroom appears at the bottom of the screen. Users can then click or tap on the mushroom, or simply tap it via the "enter" button on the keyboard. This results in a fungal infection appearing across the bottom of the screen.
Initially, a small area is covered with Cordyceps disease, but if users keep clicking, or holding down "enter", the infection overruns most of the screen. They can click the small red "X" button to the left of the mushroom icon to remove the fungus, while there's also a button on the right to "share" the experience on social media.
Google Inventively Plays Into the Last of Us' Narrative
Interestingly, the digital fungus is not as nasty as the infected on the show, nor does a Bloater emerge when the mushroom is repeatedly pressed. What it does illustrate, however, is Google tapping into the pulse of pop culture, just as it's done in the past for celebrities like Betty White when they passed. Google has also commemorated icons like Martin Luther King Jr, while Google Doodles recognize various cultures on key dates, such as World Steelpan Day in the Caribbean in August. However, this infection is more on the nose and directly linked to The Last of Us' story.
The mushroom was addressed in the first episode, with scientists discussing nature pushing back against mankind and over-population. Little did they know, the Cordyceps disease would evolve past things like plants and animals, possessing and transforming humans to become rabid monsters, with various designations such as being a Clicker. Coincidentally, seeing as users are able to "cure" their screens and return to a normal digital life, it ties into Joel's hopes that Ellie's blood could be harvested by the Fireflies.
Joel took up the mission as Tess died believing Ellie could create a vaccine with the Fireflies' help. As for users sharing the gimmick to their social media, it's a cheeky play on sending something viral and "infecting" their friends list with a thankfully-friendly spread, nodding to the bites on the show turning people. Ultimately, this clever stunt reminds people Google loves innovating in a timely, relevant manner, and that its engineers are all in on Ellie and Joel's dangerous journey.
The Last of Us airs Sundays at 9:00 p.m. on HBO and streams on HBO Max.