Aussie F1 driver Oscar Piastri makes the switch to Google Pixel in debut campaign by Emotive
Google Pixel has partnered with independent creative agency Emotive to launch a playful national campaign that sees Australian Formula 1 driver Oscar Piastri make the switch to the Google Pixel 10.
The integrated campaign, which marks Emotive’s first work for Google Pixel, taps into a simple cultural insight: many consumers have become comfortable with their phones and aren’t open to better options. Aimed at millennials, the work is designed to show how making a change can lead to something better.
It is a mindset Oscar Piastri knows well. No stranger to making bold moves to get ahead, the campaign sees him applying that same mindset to his phone, switching to the Google Pixel to ensure he never settles for anything but the best.
The campaign is brought to life through Piastri’s famously understated personality. Known for his calm, restrained demeanour, the hero film plays on the contrast between Oscar’s composed exterior and the excitement he feels on the inside – both about winning races and switching to Google Pixel.
Directed by Isaac Lock of Somesuch – whose work includes global stars such as Dua Lipa and Victoria Beckham – the campaign launches alongside one of Australia’s biggest sporting moments, the Australian Open. As Google Pixel is the official smartphone of the Australian Open, the campaign will be supported by social content, PR, and sponsorship assets, all encouraging Australians to make the switch.
Subtle nods to Piastri are woven throughout the film – including his widely discussed F1 team switch, rewarding fans and fuelling earned attention. The broader campaign rolls out across Australian Open broadcast, on-ground activations, influencers, PR and social storytelling, fully leveraging the scale of the idea.
“This campaign challenges complacency,” says Emotive Chief Creative Officer Gavin McLeod. “Oscar knows better than most that progress comes from being willing to switch. He has done it in his career, so he is the right person to encourage Australians to step out of autopilot with their phones and expect more. And, of course, Oscar never overplays it. He lets the Pixel advantage speak for itself.”
Adds Google Director of Devices Marketing, Julia Davis: “The work joins a body of global Google Pixel campaigns that highlight icons such as basketball legend Stephen Curry and football star Sol Campbell switching to Pixel in the pursuit of something better. We were thrilled to collaborate with Oscar for this next chapter, utilising his signature deadpan humour to provoke in a way that’s fun, distinctive and memorable.”
Client: Google Australia
Chief Marketing Officer: Suzana Ristevski
Director of Devices Marketing: Julia Davis
Senior Marketing Manager: Nicole Lendarduzzi
Marketing Manager: Nicholas Hirst
Marketing Manager: Maggie Pan
Creative Agency: Emotive
CEO & Founder: Simon Joyce
Executive Strategy Partner: Sebastian Revell
Chief Creative Officer: Gavin McLeod
Creative Direction: Justin Drape via Creativity & Commerce
Head of Earned Creative: Jessica Cluff
Senior Creative Director: Rupert Taylor
Associate Creative Director: Edward Macaulay
Head of Design: Daniel Mortensen
Senior Designer/Animator: Chris Cooper
Business Director: Monika Vidovic
Senior Account Manager: Tyler Ronaldson
Head of Production: Hayley-Ritz Pelling
Senior Producer: Cate Hartmann
Senior Video Editor: Sam Gadsden
PR: Emotive
Head of PR: Hannah Devereux
Production: Somesuch
Director: Isaac Lock
Executive Producer: Tara Riddell
DOP: Oliver Ford
Service Production Company: The Lift
Post Production: ARC
Audio Production: Electric Sheep Music
Media agency: MFG
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