Google Pixel has today announced a major new partnership with Australian Formula 1 superstar Oscar Piastri, with the McLaren driver set to front a new national campaign for the smartphone range.
The campaign leans heavily into Oscar’s famously calm-natured personality, playfully contrasting his understated public persona with his relentless drive for excellence on the racetrack. Across a series of videos, viewers see Piastri putting Google Pixel — and its Gemini AI smarts — to work on some very “Oscar” problems.
“Switching to Google Pixel was an easy decision,” said Piastri, in typically brief fashion.
“Am I a Formula 1 racing driver? Yep. Am I a professional actor with a full emotional range? Nope. But I’m excited on the inside to be on the winning team with Google Pixel.”
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Isaac Lock — whose previous work includes campaigns with Dua Lipa and Victoria Beckham — the videos showcase Pixel’s AI-powered features in a distinctly tongue-in-cheek way. In one, Oscar asks Gemini to write him a victory speech that reflects his famously minimal style (“Thanks”). In another, he uses Pixel’s photo-editing tools to make himself look a little more… enthusiastic.
The campaign launches alongside one of Australia’s biggest sporting moments, the Australian Open, and will run across broadcast and social platforms throughout the tournament.
Google Australia’s Chief Marketing Officer Suzana Ristevski says Piastri is a natural fit for the Pixel brand.
“Oscar embodies the ‘never settle’ mindset that drives Google Pixel — he is relentlessly chasing the best, just like we are,” she said. “We’re thrilled to bring such iconic homegrown talent to the brand. This is a uniquely Australian campaign — it’s full of delight and showcases the very best of Google Pixel in a way that we know will really resonate with local fans.”
True to form, Piastri’s journey has always been about making the right moves to get ahead. From racing remote control cars against adults three times his age to becoming one of Australia’s most successful Formula 1 exports, he’s built a reputation for constantly pushing for better.
Now, Google Pixel is inviting Australians to do the same — and ask whether they’re getting everything they can from their smartphone, or if it’s time to make the switch.
The campaign kicks off this weekend and will continue throughout the Australian Open.
