It must be Friday in lobbyingland, with the anti-Google coalition FairSearch mocking the search giant's efforts to talk up the benefits of its proposed acquisition of ITA Software.
In a blog post on the FairSearch site, it has added its own sarcastic notes against each element of the animated ad created recently by Google.
[Click image for a bigger version]
Turning to apparent satire might come as light relief after what some might say was a slightly unconventional week for FairSearch, with coalition member Kayak saying in a TV interview that it would welcome competition from Google and that it can compete.
Given that FairSearch - depending on how you read the rhetoric - has spent much of the past four months rolling out lines such as "[Google] threatens the competitive online travel search market, and could limit the competition and innovation that benefits consumers", some might've been a touch confused.
FairSearch, however, moved quickly to restate its strategy in the light of Kayak CTO Paul English's remarks, when asked by Tnooz:
"Members of FairSearch have always said that more competition in travel search is good for consumers. Our concerns arise from the means that Google is using to expand its travel search offerings. By taking control of ITA and combining this dominant flight search technology with Google's dominant general search engine, Google would be poised to undermine - not expand - competition in online travel search. The result could lead to less transparency in online travel search and higher airfares for consumers."
NB: There is a single Google ad unit running on Tnooz. FairSearch also ran an ad on Tnooz during February 2011.
NB2: Some might say satire should be left to the experts.