2016 was a challenging year for the world; we faced terror, loss, and divisive politics. But through Google search data, a reaffirming trend emerged: even in darker moments, we searched for good. For example, after the Orlando shooting, “blood donation Orlando” trended. After the terrorist attacks in France, there was a spike in “Pray for Nice.”

So in our film, we used the iconic Google Search Bar as a framing device to highlight what the data revealed: in a challenging year, there were still acts of humanity, hope, and love within 2016’s biggest searches.

We also created a digital hub where people could explore the year’s trending moments further and see the data insights for themselves.

Our film used the iconic Google Search bar to frame the trending moments of 2016, highlighting acts of humanity, hope and love.

The film called for a song that would not only drive the story of our film, but also felt true to the year.

We turned to one of the biggest searches in music in 2016: 12-year-old America's Got Talent winner, Grace Vanderwaal and her hit song "Light the Sky."

Her performance inspired a feeling of hope through both the highs and lows of the year, helping viewers feel that even in challenging year like 2016, love was still out there.

In just two weeks, our film had 30 million views and a 63% increase in shares from last year. This was an equivalent of 36 years of watch time looking back at a year most people had written off.