Love Actually is the most-searched for film in UK Christmas history, which is one of the reasons why advertisers love to reference it so much. Waitrose hired star Keira Knightley and plundered a scene for its Christmas spot. Now Google Pixel follows suit, bringing in two of the film’s other cast members, Thomas Brodie-Sangster and Martine McCutcheon, for their own festive film.
It’s a lot of fun and the references to the film work well, whether you love Love Actually and have seen it 10 times, or only endured it the once through gritted teeth. The ad also puts the product features right at the heart of the film in an entirely effortless way.
Eileen Mannion, vice president of marketing at Google UK, said: “The festive advertising season is all about evoking emotion and capturing attention. With ‘It’s Pixel, actually’, we’ve used the magic from one of the UK’s most beloved holiday films to show how the Google Pixel 10 helps anyone capture truly cinematic moments. It’s a perfect blend of nostalgia, innovation and pure festive joy.”
Another welcome, big-budget addition to the 2025 Christmas advertising cannon (even if it is only running on social). And it’s taken a whole army to make it: WPP Media Futures Group, Universal Products & Experiences, and director Mike Warzin through A&S.
MAA creative scale: 8.5
