Google Pixel Revives Love Actually Magic for Christmas
So, let me walk you through this charming new Christmas campaign that’s been making the rounds—because if you’re a Love Actually fan, this one is going to hit you right in the festive feels. Google Pixel has launched a seasonal ad called “It’s Pixel, actually,” and it leans fully into nostalgia, humour, and that warm Christmas glow the original film is known for.
To start with, two beloved cast members from the 2003 classic are brought back: Thomas Brodie-Sangster, who played the love-struck young Sam, and Martine McCutcheon, who won everyone’s hearts as Natalie. The campaign was developed with WPP Media Future Group and Universal Products & Experiences, and its goal is simple—show off just how cinematic the Pixel 10’s camera can be, especially its impressive Pro Res Zoom.
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The ad opens with Thomas sitting on London’s South Bank, taking in the Thames with St Paul’s behind him—a perfect nod to the film's familiar cityscape. He talks directly to the camera with this cheeky confidence, insisting he gets recognised “a lot” when he returns to the filming locations each Christmas. And then the fun begins. Every time someone seems to recognise him, they’re actually zooming past him to something completely different—like a distant bridge where someone’s dressed as the famous nativity lobster, or a man in the background doing Hugh Grant’s iconic Downing Street “Jump” dance.
Thomas keeps posing as if the attention is meant for him, unaware that the Pixel’s zoom is exposing the real subject every time. He even tries tapping out a dramatic drum sequence, only for a passer-by to excitedly point not at him, but at Martine McCutcheon behind him dropping her popcorn—another moment captured crystal-clear thanks to the phone’s camera. The whole thing plays out with this brilliantly lighthearted tone, blending gentle self-parody with smart product demonstration.
Eileen Mannion, Google UK’s VP of Marketing, summed it up perfectly by saying the campaign uses the magic of one of the UK’s most cherished Christmas films to highlight how the Pixel 10 helps anyone create cinematic-looking memories. And honestly, it works. There’s nostalgia, humour, and just enough festive sparkle to make it feel like a mini Christmas movie of its own.
It also helps that Love Actually remains the UK’s most searched-for Christmas film in history, still rewatched obsessively every December. So tapping into that legacy feels both clever and completely natural.
As someone who loves the original film—and may or may not have already rewatched it this week—this ad feels like exactly the kind of holiday content we need. If we can’t get a full sequel to Love Actually, then a fun little reunion like this every Christmas might be the next best thing.
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