Cheeky Pixel 9 'Switch Like Sol' Ad Revives A Classic Soccer Controversy

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TL;DR

Google’s latest ad stars former soccer star Sol Campbell discussing the benefits of switching.
Campbell famously (or infamously) transferred from Tottenham to its hated rival Arsenal mid-season.
Titled “Switch like Sol,” the ad is a nod to the fact the grass is sometimes greener on the other side — and full of trophies.

Google is no stranger to throwing jabs at the iPhone in its never-ending campaign of Pixel ads, but this January, it’s taken a slightly different angle.

Rather than taking a shot at Apple from outside the box, Google has decided to draw on one of the more shocking soccer transfer decisions of the 21st century to get its point across. It tapped former Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal star Sol Campbell to talk about the joys of a January transfer, delighting one half of the London rivalry but probably ensuring that the other half sticks with its iPhones or Galaxy devices.

Confused? Here’s why Google’s latest Pixel spot is so, so good.

Whoever said you couldn’t go from white to red?

Google’s “Switch like Sol” ad opens with a deviously simple scene, showing Campbell — a former Tottenham captain who made 250 appearances for the Spurs — hammering a chicken breast in his kitchen while wearing a crisp white sweater. The central defender then switches rooms, walking into a trophy-filled hallway, where he sheds his snow-colored sweater for a deep red one, pausing to dust an award or two while talking about the joys of joining a winning side.

Switching rooms again, Campbell remarks, “Sure, people will have opinions,” before turning a white vase of flowers — Tottenham’s primary color — out of sight. “But who cares what other people think?” he continues before settling on a couch to push the perks of the Pixel 9 a bit harder.

There, he sits down and twists the knife with one more dig at Spurs fans, asking Gemini Live, “What were we just talking about?” To which Gemini replies, “We were talking about separating delicate whites from strong colors like red.” Blow the whistle and hit the locker rooms — this game is over for Tottenham fans.

Of course, if you’re not familiar with Sol Campbell — and the controversy he caused — it’s easy to miss the nearly endless humor in this Pixel ad. Essentially, Campbell decided to change teams in the middle of the Premier League season, switching from Tottenham to its hated North London rival, Arsenal, for free, before going on to make almost 200 appearances for the Gunners and winning two league titles with three FA cup championships.

In American sports terms, that would be like if Aaron Judge signed with the Boston Red Sox or if Tom Brady had become a New York Giant — unthinkable levels of betrayal. These days, though, Campbell would have to sign for Chelsea if he wanted another chance at winning a trophy.

In my eyes, as a sports fan, this is one of my favorite Pixel ads of the year. It pokes just enough fun without ever mentioning Tottenham by name, though it won’t make Sol Campbell any more popular in certain parts of North London.