A couple of weeks after officially announcing Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL flagships, the Mountain View-based tech giant is now ramping up their marketing machine. The Pixel phones mark a significant landmark in Google’s hardware strategy. Up until recently, the company has often shied away from consumer electronics and mostly dealt with hardware based on emerging technologies like Google Glass and various drones. Sure, it had a hand in the Nexus line, but Nexus hardware was still produced by Android original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) while Google was handling their software. Nexus phones were mostly touted as great devices and had a loyal following but they weren’t huge commercial hits. Google wasn’t really bothered by that as the company’s representatives often claimed that the main goal of the Nexus project was to show what pure Android can do and not directly compete with OEMs.
However, that’s all in the past as everything related to Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL signifies a complete change of the company’s hardware strategy. These are the first two devices branded exclusively by Google and specifically advertised as being “Made by Google”. They’re premium flagships with equally premium price tags and are marketed much more heavily than any Nexus phone before them. In other words, Google Pixel and Pixel XL aren’t only targeting Android enthusiasts, they’re targeting pretty much everyone. So, when you make a phone that is meant to appeal to the average consumer, a heavy marketing campaign is in order.
Google is aware of that and is investing a lot of money in advertising its two flagships. Over in the United Kingdom, Google Pixel and Pixel XL officially hit the market today and their maker decided to celebrate this occasion by renovating its store in Currys PC World located on Tottenham Court Road in central London. The store opened today at 7 AM and coffee stalls branded with a “MadeByGoogle” hashtag were found in the vicinity. In addition to that and a lot of traditional advertising, Engadget reports that a similar pop-up store is opening in New York today. It remains to be seen whether this coffee-and-Pixel concept will also be introduced in other territories which are slated to receive Google’s latest flagships in the coming weeks.