GOOGLE PIXEL 6 HIGHLIFE
BRIEF
IDEA
DRUM was tasked with launching Google’s new phone, the Pixel 6 by disrupting a crowded and highly competitive phone market and showcasing that the Google Pixel brand stands for innovation and progress, with features such as ‘Real Tone’ where photo portraits on the Pixel 6 represent the nuances of different skin tones for all people, beautifully and authentically.
With the proliferation of reality TV shows in recent years we recognised an opportunity to reach our target audience at scale. However, the majority of the casts and stars of reality TV are typically of White ethnic origin. We set out to change this and to drive consideration whilst demonstrating Google’s inclusive values too.
CAMPAIGN
Our solution was for Google Pixel 6 to partner and co-fund Channel 4’s latest show – Highlife: The first Black reality TV series in the UK, which follows the lives and loves of a group of ambitious, glamorous young British West Africans all chasing their own idea of success. It represents a different version of Black British culture – one that doesn’t play into negative black stereotypes that are often seen in mainstream media.
The partnership included a bespoke set of TV sponsorship idents which featured top black British comedians – Kojo Anim, Lola Jagun and A Dot watching the show for the first time and sharing their authentic reactions seeing an all-black cast portrayed in an unashamedly positive way, in the first UK show of its kind.
Alongside the idents there were also four bespoke contextual ads featuring the Highlife cast members – Bernicia, Cuppy, Kidd and Chiefer – using C4’s ‘Faces of 4’ format. The creative saw them being asked a series of questions about their lives and culture, aligning their lifestyles to one of the new Google Pixel 6 features. A true celebration of the new show and the new Google phone.
RESULTS
unaided awareness
+20%
positive perception
of Google Pixel 6
+25%
Highlife became the number one trending topic on X (formally Twitter), and the exclusive deal was one of Channel 4’s biggest ever branded entertainment series, and the first time Google had partnered with a broadcaster in this way in the UK.