Pizza with Pixel
Issue 59 | June 2021
Agency
VMLY&R
Creative Team
VMLY&R, Global Chief Creative Officer: Debbi Vandeven VMLY&R, CEO NY Chief Creative Officer, NA: Jason Xenopoulos VMLY&R, Executive Creative Director: Harsh Kapadia VMLY&R, Executive Creative Director: Craig Elimeliah VMLY&R, Associate Creative Director: Ricardo Pocci VMLY&R, Senior Copywriter: Mark Leephaibul VMLY&R, Creative Director: Justine Cotter VMLY&R, Creative Director: Rai Halim VMLY&R, Designer: Claire Zou
Production Team
VMLY&R, Director Experiences & Culture: Catherine Patterson VMLY&R, Senior Integrated Producer: Jill Toloza VMLY&R, Print Producer: Jack Hughes Traction 3D, Production Partner: Bryan Roberts
Other Credits
VMLY&R, Executive Director: Chris Furse VMLY&R, Managing Director, Client Engagement: Becka Vigorito VMLY&R, Director, Strategy & Insights: Miriam Raisner VMLY&R, Senior Account Manager: Alexis Romano Google, SVP, Global Marketing: Lorraine Twohill Google, VP Marketing, Google Devices & Services: Adrienne Hayes Google, ECD, Google Devices & Services: Xanthe Wells Google, ECD, Google Devices & Services: Christian Haas Google, Creative Director: Colleen Harlan Google, Consumer and Retail Marketing: Zach Overton Google, Content Lead: Josh Friedman Google, US Campaign & Partnerships Lead: Ross Tucker Illustrator: Steve Noble Domino’s, Director, Digital Marketing & Media: Steve Kennedy Domino’s, Director Public Relations: Jenny Fouracre-Petko Domino’s, Specialist, Digital Marketing: Katie Crew Domino’s, Specialist, Social Media & PR: Katie Szymanski
Date
2021
Background
The smartphone category was suffering from years of underwhelming upgrades. But the Google Pixel 4 wasn’t just another smartphone. It was a new innovation with all-new hands-free features like Motion Sense and the New Google Assistant. People were unfamiliar with hands-free features. So instead of telling people how helpful hands-free features could be, we needed to find a way to show them.
Idea
To launch the Google Pixel 4, a smartphone with innovative hands-free features like Motion Sense and the New Google Assistant, we partnered with Domino’s, a brand known for their delivery network, to bring the hands-free features of the Pixel 4 to straight to consumers in a way that encouraged them to try out the hands-free features. People ordered a Pixel 4 with a Domino’s pizza, which was delivered in a standard size Domino’s box. The Domino’s box was redesigned specifically for the Pixel 4 with a phone-safe, heat-resistant compartment incorporated into the original design. Pizza in hand, people tested out the new hands-free features by following instructions printed right on the pizza box.
Results
Instead of talking about the usual tech-specs, unboxers started demonstrating the Pixel’s unique features on social media—and fans responded by asking how they could get their own Pixel 4 with a pizza. This conversation added up to over 65 million impressions. In a category where launches are standard and tech specs all sound the same, we not only changed the conversation and got people talking about the truly innovative Pixel 4—we created an entirely new conversation about what a phone launch could be.