Waymo

Rideshare users didn't trust the tech, and new markets saw Waymo as a "foreign invader" rather than a local service. Waymo had to find a way for consumers, and regulators, to emotionally connect with robots.

Team:
Brookelyn Shantler, Brand Strategy & Research
Elise Tannenbaum, Brand Strategy & Research
Libby Browder, Brand Strategy & Research
Me! Creative Strategy, Production & Execution

One thing to know

Revealed that fear of self-driving cars wasn't subsiding... it was intensifying, with 91% of drivers expressing either fear or uncertainty.

-AAA (2024)

While the team’s foundational research established a Trust Pyramid (empathy, logic, and authenticity), the brand needed a fresh idea to make that framework feel human and local.

News stories reveal that Waymo’s fleet had received 589 parking tickets in San Francisco.
-Washington Post (2025)

While others saw a PR liability, I saw 589 points of common ground.

Campaign details

How Waymo found "Common Ground"

By acknowledging that our robots also struggle with the complexities of urban bureaucracy, we humanized the machine.

I led the development of a civic partnership model that launched a legal-aid fund for low-income residents, turning a shared pain point into a vehicle for city equity.

Hailed by the client as their "most distinctive and meaningful concept," the work proved that trust is won through shared human experience rather than technical specs.