Google shamelessly enters the Curtis-verse

Google has gone full Richard Curtis this year, leaning into Love Actually nostalgia with a Pixel 10 ad that’s actually pitched pretty well, and doesn’t overstay its welcome.

Adland has gone all in on Richard Curtis nostalgia this year, to the point where we’re wondering why his oeuvre wasn’t exploited more in previous Yule Tide creative outings.

Anyway, I was ready to sigh slightly at another retreading of the old formula, but was pleasantly surprised by Google Pixel’s efforts.

Created by WPP Media Futures Group with Universal Products & Experiences, ‘It’s Pixel, actually’ reunites Love Actually alumni (the less recognisable) Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Martine McCutcheon, as ‘Sam and Natalie’ wander through London revisiting iconic locations while showing off the Pixel 10’s zoom and AI-powered photo tools.

Directed by Mike Warzin through Arts & Sciences, the social-first film is a little more meta in its approach than other Curtis odes.

The stars are older, more self-aware, and fully conscious that ‘Love Actually’ is now the most-searched Christmas film in UK history: a stat Google is only too happy to quote.

The fact that it succeeds is all the more impressive given that Waitrose has already raided the film for casting and tone, and more than one brand is trying to bottle that ‘Heathrow-arrivals’ emotional hit.

Of course, mining ready-made emotional IP instead of building original worlds from scratch makes commercial sense. It’s hard to think of many of the Christmas ads we’ve covered that don’t, in fact. But, we sort of let brands off a bit, given that this time of year isn’t about being too critical and pedantic. (Grits teeth)

So, depending on how you’re feeling, you might rightly argue that the camera features are layered on in a slightly heavy-handed manner here. But, for me, it’s shameless, irreverent, and annoyingly effective.

As a piece of brand strategy, tying Pixel to the UK’s most rewatched Christmas filmmakers sense for Google too, and pitches the brand at odds with Apple’s more self-serious, ‘cinematic’ approach to its creative proceedings.

So, touche Google. And happy Curtismas.

Image credit: Google campaign film