Meet Aunty M, Google’s new marketing muse bringing ad solutions to life | The Work

Ad Solutions might not sound like the most exciting topic. In fact, Ad Nut would probably rather sit and split nuts than watch a series about it.

Yet Google may have found a clever way to spark curiosity and bring fresh energy to the subject. Enter Singaporean YouTube personality Annette Lee, who takes on the alter ego of Aunty M as she learns to market her fiery sambal belacan business. This new episodic series is Google’s attempt to bring its ad solutions to life in a fun and entertaining way for marketers and entrepreneurs across Southeast Asia.

The series follows Aunty M as she travels the region, chatting with marketing professionals about how to get the most out of Google and YouTube Ads Solutions.

Novice Aunty M interviews industry heavyweights like Leah Howatson of Castlery on tracking “butt counts,” decodes the Google code with Alin Popescu of WPP Media, and explores strategies for reeling in incremental traffic with HP’s Abhishek Seth.

It’s a fresh, entertaining approach to explaining what can be a dry topic, and Aunty M definitely adds her own characteristic spice.

“The world doesn’t need more boring B2B content about how to launch a new ad campaign,” says Samit Malkani, group marketing creative manager at Google Southeast Asia and South Asia frontier. “Our products are constantly evolving, so it was time our storytelling did too. This series lets us speak to marketers and entrepreneurs on their terms, in ways that feel accessible, local, and culturally relevant.”

Casting popular Singaporean YouTube personality Annette Lee was a smart move. Beloved across Southeast Asia for her relatable comedic characters, and an entrepreneur herself, Lee as Aunty M bridges the gap between complex ad solutions and engaging entertainment.

“Creating the character of Aunty M with her meant that this isn’t just creator-led content, it’s creator-shaped strategy,” says Zoe Chen, strategy director at VIRTUE Asia.

Who knew a series on a topic as dry as ad solutions could actually be entertaining? This one achieves that. But let’s be clear: while Aunty M is fun, she’s no substitute for the real ad anorak. So Google, Ad Nut will be waiting for your call for series two.

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