26 March  Russian office of Google launched new gallery of designs for a personal page in  iGoogle search engine. This project was called iGoogle Artists and it allows every registered Google user to choose a design for a personal page. Every theme has four versions, which automatically change four times a day.

The first iGoogle Artists designs collection was globally launched one year ago; it included designs from many artists - Coldplay, Celine Dion, Radiohead and many others. Back then no designs from Russia were present. And this year many Russian artists created personal themes: MakSim, Mumiy Troll, t.A.T.u., Uma2rman, Kipelov, Dima Bilan and Valeria.

Both artists and Google consider this project as artistic. "Right now, when new designs just appeared, it's probably early to talk about the leader. And after all it's not the main thing since there's no competitive moment in this: The main concept of our project was to assist users to find their favourite designs according to their interests. Bool lover will choose a design with "Master and Margarita" artwork, and music lover will pick favorite artist, - Google Russia marketing director Konstantin Kuzmin tells. - Of course there're such simple measurement as  statistics of choosing, but I doubt it's the only factor that helps evaluate project' success. It's very important for us that we've managed to unite such different participants for creating original designs, which can be interesting for completely different people. We're already getting positive comments from our users.

While creating designs, artists had to stay in quite reasonable boarders. Themes should be approved for any users category, including children. That's why they can't contain propaganda of cruelty, tobacco smoking, alcohol and drugs use and sex. Designs also shouldn't demonstrate weapon and nakedness and contain any kind of advertising.

There are mo doubts that artists' participation in such project ads value to their personal brands. It is also quite an original promo idea. t.A.T.u., for example, have used their last "220" video screenshots, and Valeria's design was based on the promo-shoot of her latest record.

Google doesn't reveal the internal "popularity" statistics, but in general catalogue in every design of the artist it's possible to see the number of users, who chose it.