Google Pixel continues its NBA adventures with ‘Greatest Watch Party’ film

Six months after presenting “The Greatest Pick-Up Game of All Time,” Google Pixel is back with a high-energy sequel NBA film, hosting the “Greatest Watch Party.” The new 2:30 film begins with comedian Druski’s bus breaking down, derailing his plans to attend an NBA game with Giannis Antetokounmpo. But luckily, residents of the neighborhood come to the rescue, inviting him inside to watch the game. Hijinks ensue, combining a load of celebrity cameos—Joel Embiid, Jalen Green, Kelsey Plum, Candace Parker and other influencers from Pixel’s “Okay, I See You” spots—with closeups of Pixel features in action. “Quite a few people never get a chance to enjoy a basketball game in an arena, but they can get connected and stay connected and enjoy the game through Pixel,” Daryl Butler, VP of marketing, devices and systems at Google, told Ad Age. “We looked at it and said, ‘How cool would it be to take the experience to where the consumer enjoys the game more often than not, and that is right in their front room?’ The idea of the biggest watch party became an opportunity for us to not only continue the relationship we have with our talent but put them in a place that is consistent with how the consumer enjoys the game.” The spot was created by the agency Robot (the brand consultancy arm of The SpringHill Company, founded by LeBron James and Maverick Carter) and directed by DAPS of Anonymous Content. “The campaign is all about tapping into the joy of basketball fandom,” said Adrian Flores, VP of creative for Robot. “Basketball is meant to be fun, so we’ve tried to show fans how Pixel can elevate their experience, no matter how they like to fan out, through IYKYK easter eggs that celebrate all the great NBA moments and personalities that have been lighting up their social feeds throughout the season.” Butler said NBA fandom is the perfect lens through which to tell the Pixel story. “It’s the idea of contextualizing our innovation so a consumer can appreciate what we're creating,” he said. “It’s one thing to talk about the innovations that we have loaded in our Pixel devices; it's another to contextualize them so a consumer can understand what it can do for them. And when you can do it in the context of something they love—the passion of basketball—the connection is much deeper.” Working with the NBA also allows Google to tap into the league’s remarkable cultural cachet, he added. “One of the things I stood up for when I came to Google is this idea of using culture as an on-ramp for our products to be contextualized in people's lives,” he said. “The NBA partnership affords us the opportunity to look at the concentric circles around the game of basketball. Now I can talk about sneaker culture. I can be a part of music and the relationship that exists between basketball and music in a very seamless way. The fact that the NBA sits at a zeitgeist within the cultural cloud, that affords us the opportunity to come along with them as we continue to establish our cultural relevance across key pillars that we think are important.” The anthem video will live on the Made by Google YouTube channel. In addition, :60, :30, :15 and :06 cuts will run throughout the NBA Playoffs and Finals across broadcast and digital/social. See last year’s film below.

Google Pixel continues its NBA adventures with ‘Greatest Watch Party’ film

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