Google’s not taking it easy in its push to market the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones — according to recent reports, the company has already spent $3.2 million in TV ads since it announced the device, and some ad executives suggest that Google will spend hundreds of millions in an effort to keep up with the likes of Samsung and Apple.
The advertising budget makes sense for Google. The release of the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones puts the company in direct competition with Samsung and Apple, so Google needs to make a big push if it expects to make waves.
While Google has declined to offer specific numbers about its marketing campaign for the Pixel, it has said that it is running a “very significant marketing campaign,” according to a report from Reuters. Not only that, but the report states that the company may even buy ads during Thanksgiving football games, which can run into multiple millions of dollars.
It will be interesting to see how Google approaches its advertising campaign. So far, its ads are very similar to ads made by Apple, including things like white backdrops and slowly moving closeups of the phones.
Google isn’t the only one that will be spending the cash to try and promote the Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones. Verizon, which has a carrier exclusive on the phones, will invest its own money in TV ads, internet marketing, social media, and more. These campaigns will start when the phone launches on October 20, and will likely run through the holiday season, according to Jeff Dietel, vice president of device marketing at Verizon, in an interview with Fortune.
The Pixel and Pixel XL smartphones are also probably just the start for Google. It’s likely that if the company can get the Pixel off the ground, the Pixel 2 will be an even bigger deal.
