Google launches another marketing offensive against Apple's iPhone

Google has stepped up its long-running rivalry with Apple, rolling out a new ad campaign that takes another playful swing at the iPhone. The spot, which tech site AppleInsider highlighted on November 21, leans heavily on humour and theatre to get its point across. Google wants people to see the Pixel as the phone that drives real innovation.

The ad borrows its style from the hit musical Wicked. Instead of witches, though, the lead characters are phones. A purple iPhone 17 Pro appears as Glinda, the bright and cheerful “good witch,” while the green Pixel Pro 10 steps into the role of Elphaba, the one who never quite gets the credit she deserves.

The scene plays out like a friendly confession. The iPhone thanks the Pixel and admits that many of its “new” features were actually things Pixel users had first. It’s a playful way for Google to claim that the Pixel often introduces ideas before Apple brings them to the iPhone.

Google highlights three areas where it says the Pixel broke new ground. One is call screening, which helps cut down on spam and other unwanted calls. Another is the ability to clean up photos by removing objects you don’t want in the shot. And the last is a more natural, conversational type of AI assistant.

All three, Google suggests, appeared on Pixel devices long before Apple added similar tools to the iPhone.

This isn’t a one-off move. Google has been using this kind of lighthearted, slightly teasing marketing for a while. Back in 2023, it released a series called “Best Phones Forever,” which showed the Pixel and iPhone as unlikely friends, poking fun at each other while comparing strengths and weaknesses. Those ads also pointed out places where Google felt it was ahead, especially when it came to AI.

With this new campaign, Google is sticking to the same formula. It’s catchy, it’s theatrical, and it sends one clear message: the Pixel wants to be seen as the phone that sets trends, not follows them.