AI Gets the Lead Role in Google’s TIFF Campaign

To celebrate two milestone moments, the 50th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and the launch of the Google Pixel 10, Cossette and Google have launched a witty, culturally resonant campaign that makes AI unmistakably helpful. At its centre is Gemini, Google’s AI assistant, helping solve the most universal debate of movie night - what to watch.

Everyone knows the pain of movie-night indecision, the endless scrolling, the group standoffs, the slow unravelling of enthusiasm. This campaign steps in with a smart, relatable solution: Gemini on Google Pixel. And by doing it during TIFF, when movie culture is at its peak and Canadians are already talking about film, audiences are met with a moment they care about in a way that feels natural. Rather than introducing AI on tech terms, it integrates it into something people already love, the joy (and drama) of picking the perfect movie.

“TIFF is a cultural moment that brings Canadians together through storytelling,” says Vaisnavy Sivayoganathan, Google Canada. “With Pixel 10's built-in Gemini assistant, we saw an opportunity to show how helpful AI can be in the small, shared decisions that shape those moments, like finding the one movie everyone can actually agree on. This campaign makes the technology feel relevant and relatable.”

From bold, movie-inspired OOH installations across downtown Toronto, featuring hyper-relatable conflicts like “He wants artsy fartsy. I just want explosions.” (Drive), “She wants high school. I want all hell to break loose.” (Jennifer’s Body), the campaign captures pre-movie tension with humour and style.

On social, short-form animations and stylised streaming menus round out the media mix - creating a seamless content ecosystem where the Pixel 10 becomes the hero of the pre-movie ritual.

Balancing tension with humour and style, the storytelling continues in live-action spots that dramatise moments of indecision, leading to either a charged resolution or a Pixel-powered save featuring a movie the whole family will love.

“As TIFF celebrates 50 years and Pixel 10 makes its debut, this campaign brings two cultural moments together in a way that feels fresh,” says Dana Ciani, Cossette. “By tapping into the universal chaos of movie night, we’re showing how AI can fit seamlessly into real life, not by dazzling with tech specs, but by solving a problem everyone relates to.”

With strategic timing, cinematic craft, and a sharp eye for culture, the campaign positions AI not as a futuristic concept, but as a practical co-star in life’s shared moments.