"Google is doing what Real Names tried to do. Just this morning I heard an NPR "sponsor spot" where the text went "For more information call 1-800-FOOBARZ or Google FOOBARZ". Everyone knows google; and it’s easier to type the name there than trying to get the URL right."
I would have loved to know the name of the company, just to check the result in Google. Why any advertiser would want to dilute its conversion rate by adding an intermediate layer I don’t understand. Did they mean to have another chance to get the people who might misspell their brand, in the hope that Google would propose the correct spelling? If I were a competitor I might buy an Adwords campaign to piggy back on their radio effort. I guess they thought this message would get them cool points. Except everyone uses Google now.