Google’s latest entry in its ongoing “Best Phones Forever” campaign leans on a theatrical crossover to make its point. This time, the company pairs the Pixel with characters from the film Wicked, using the musical framework to underline how long Google has been pushing AI tools on its smartphones. The short ad casts the Pixel and iPhone as Glinda and Elphaba, delivering a duet that doubles as light-hearted commentary on the staggered pace of AI adoption across major phone makers.
In the scripted exchange, the iPhone praises the Pixel for leading the way on features that have since become standard selling points for many devices. The callouts—photo correction tools, call-screening functions, and an AI assistant capable of natural back-and-forth conversation—are presented as long-established capabilities on Google hardware. While stylized for entertainment, the dialogue taps into a real industry divide: Apple has only recently begun rolling out its broader suite of on-device intelligence tools, with some key Siri upgrades now expected in 2026 rather than alongside the initial Apple Intelligence releases. Early components such as Live Translation shipped with iOS 26, but the more advanced conversational system remains in development.
The ad concludes with a parody of Wicked’s For Good, rewritten to blend theatrical sentiment with references to mobile technology. After trading lines about how each device has “changed” the other, the spot ends with a direct promotion for the Pixel 10 Pro—an expected pivot for a campaign built around playful rivalry. Under the humor, the message is relatively straightforward: Google is positioning the Pixel as a phone with a longer track record in AI-driven features, while portraying Apple as working to catch up at its own pace.
Google’s campaign continues to walk a line between entertainment and competitive framing, using cultural tie-ins to keep its messaging visible without leaning too heavily into confrontation. As smartphone makers increasingly promote AI as a core differentiator, these ads reflect a broader shift in marketing—from hardware specs to the maturity and reliability of on-device intelligence.
