For many years, Apple’s top competitors have been picking at the iPhone in ad campaigns that range from harmless to embarrassing. After all, Apple is the biggest mobile vendor on the planet for a reason — the company makes great phones. That said, the iPhone is not perfect, and even the new model can’t match certain features of other flagship devices. In a shocking twist, Google has capitalized on those shortcomings to create a genuinely funny ad campaign that effectively lampoons the iPhone without making any outrageous claims.
On Wednesday, Google shared five commercials on YouTube to kick off its #BestPhonesForever campaign. In each of the ads, we see an iPhone and a Pixel having a conversation that just so happens to highlight a feature or capability of the Pixel phone.
The first ad is all about the iPhone “plateauing” while the Pixel gains new abilities:
The second ad compares the Pixel’s astrophotography mode to the iPhone’s Night mode:
In the third ad, the iPhone freaks out about hackers on the public Wi-Fi network, which prompts the Pixel to point out that it comes with its own VPN:
The fourth ad is all about the Pixel’s ability to wirelessly charge other Qi-certified phones:
Finally, the iPhone meets a Pixel Fold and faints at the prospect of a foldable phone:
Whether you’re an iPhone enthusiast, a Google Pixel admirer, or you don’t have an allegiance to a phone vendor, it’s easy to appreciate the good-natured fun of these ads. It is a thin line to walk if you’re going to intentionally compare your product to the most popular phone in existence, but Google managed to strike the perfect tone in this campaign.
Now, it’s quite not enough to convince me to switch from iPhone to Pixel, but these videos are far more entertaining than any of the Apple commercials I’ve seen on TV lately. Here’s hoping Google has a few more of these in the can for the future.
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