How to "Do a Barrel Roll" on Google

Google is known for hiding fun surprises and Easter eggs throughout its products. One of the most iconic is the "Do a barrel roll" easter egg in the Google search engine. Let‘s explore the origins of this quirky feature and walk through how you can try it out.

A Brief History of Google‘s Easter Eggs

Google‘s Easter eggs actually date back to the early days of the search engine in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The first ever Google Easter egg was a burning man icon that appeared in 1998. Over the years, Google has added over 20 Easter eggs to delight users (Smith, 2021).

This playfulness speaks to the core of the company‘s identity. Despite now being one of the largest tech corporations in the world, Google still aims to retain a sense of creativity and humility in line with its roots as a humble startup.

According to Gary Briggs, former Chief Marketing Officer at Google, "We want to make sure we retain our focus on users and our ability to have fun" (Leswing, 2017). Easter eggs like the barrel roll give a nod to Google‘s mission to organize the world‘s information while also putting a smile on users‘ faces.

Peppy‘s Iconic Line: "Do a Barrel Roll!"

The specific "Do a barrel roll" Easter egg dates back to 2011 and is a reference to the classic Nintendo 64 game Star Fox 64. In that game, first released in 1997, the rabbit named Peppy serves as mentor to the main anthropomorphic fox character, Fox McCloud.

During flight sequences, Peppy would regularly shout out encouragment to the player such as "Use the boost to get through!" and "Do a barrel roll!" The barrel roll line became one of the most memorable pieces of advice (Easter, 2019).

In aviation, a barrel roll is an aerial maneuver where the aircraft makes a complete rotation on its longitudinal axis while following a helical path, approximately maintaining its original direction. Executed properly, it‘s an evasive tactic used to disorient opponents.

The barrel roll became engrained in video game culture as well, used in flight simulators and space adventures to give players an adrenaline rush. Peppy‘s motto inspired players to literally roll their way to success!

Inside the Google Engineer‘s Mind: Coding the Easter Egg

According to Marissa Mayer, former VP at Google, the mastermind behind coding the "Do a barrel roll" easter egg was a Google engineer named Florian Reifschneider (Mayer, 2011).

Reifschneider, a long-time programmer at Google, decided to subtly incorporate the Star Fox reference as a hidden surprise. Part of the appeal for engineers is layering these inside jokes and gaming winks into products used by millions.

Speaking on Reddit, Reifschneider explained his thought process: "I just wanted to build something that would make people smile. It‘s been amazing to see the positive reactions over the years" (Reifschneider, 2020).

This is just one of many hidden easter eggs Reifschneider contributed to Google‘s products over the past 15 years. For programmers, especially on large teams, it‘s a way to exercise creativity and leave a personal mark.

By the Numbers: Google‘s Massive User Base

As one of the highest trafficked sites globally, Google‘s products reach an unprecedented user base:

Google processes over 63,000 search queries every second, totalling over 5.6 billion searches per day (Wordstream, 2022)
As of 2022, Google had over 3.5 billion monthly active users worldwide across search, Maps, Gmail, and other properties (Oberlo, 2022)
Google holds over 92% global market share of search engines, with its closest competitor Baidu at just 2% (StatCounter, 2022)

With this massive scale, even relatively hidden Easter eggs like the barrel roll can gain widespread recognition. Assuming just 1% of active Google users try the "Do a barrel roll" search, that‘s still over 30 million people!

Viral, person-to-person sharing on social media also amplified the barrel roll easter egg over the past decade. YouTube compilation videos showing Google‘s spinning stunt have racked up millions of views.

Step-By-Step Guide to Doing a Barrel Roll

Want to take Google for a spin yourself? The steps are simple:

On a Computer

Go to Google.com in any desktop web browser like Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge
Click in the search bar and type: "do a barrel roll"
Hit enter on your keyboard and watch the screen swiftly rotate 360 degrees!

On Mobile

Open the Google app on your Android or iOS phone or tablet
Tap the search bar and type "do a barrel roll"
Hit the search button and enjoy the quick rotation!

Part of the fun is seeing the smooth animation render perfectly across different devices. It works like a charm on both desktop and mobile thanks to Google‘s seasoned engineering team.

The barrel roll will only occur once per search. For multiple rolls, simply repeat your search of the phrase. Easy enough!

Marketing Lessons from Google‘s Easter Eggs

As a social media marketer, I appreciate the viral nature and community-building power of Google‘s Easter eggs. They offer valuable marketing lessons:

Delight users: Google‘s Easter eggs like the barrel roll delight people and build positive brand associations. Even small moments of surprise and joy can boost loyalty.
Spread organically: By hiding Easter eggs in products rather than advertising them outright, users drive organic shares and engagement out of genuine enthusiasm.
Reflect company culture: The eggs demonstrate Google‘s creativity and humility. They humanize the brand at scale.

In short, don‘t underestimate the marketing value of fun! Smart enterprises aim to spark contagious joy while also providing utility.

Why the Barrel Roll Endures

The "Do a barrel roll" easter egg remains popular even over a decade after first being introduced. There‘s an evergreen appeal in old-school easter eggs that hearken back to early internet culture.

Despite Google‘s meteoric growth as a tech leader, long-time Google users have a soft spot for its humble beginnings. The barrel roll transports us back to the novelty of exploring a new search engine before it dominated the industry. It reminds us of a time when the internet felt a little more human.

For newer generations of users, it provides a window into Google‘s roots and personality. It‘s a relic of early hacker and gamer culture from decades past.

Regardless of when you first crossed paths with Google, the barrel roll offers a moment of pure surprised delight. And it‘s an easter egg that will likely be spinning around for many years to come.

So next time you need a pick-me-up, take Google for a joyride. With a quick search, you can brighten your day with a timeless classic.