To launch its new Pixel phones, Google is looking to YouTube stars to bring buzz. An online after-party featuring YouTube stars breathed new life into the brand’s languid “Made by Google” keynote.
Amelia Dimoldenberg (of “Chicken Shop Date” fame), drag superstars Trixie Mattel and Monét X Change, Hot Ones’ Sean Evans, scientist Mark Rober and more all showed up to tout the brand’s latest phone models and features.
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Keke Palmer hosted the event, popping up on stage during the keynote (cleverly wearing a two-piece Balmain suit that paired perfectly with the new peony Pixel 9) to invite the audience to the After Show.
The first After Show performance was a version of Evans’ hugely popular Hot Ones series. Google senior vice president Rick Osterloh took the A-list spot. DiModenberg then interviewed the Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler, who jumped on stage during the keynote to demonstrate the Pixel’s “Add Me” feature. Butler has always been a style icon, wearing the original-colored Noogler hat given to new employees at Google as a rite of passage.
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Then there’s Mattel and X Change, who are experimenting with “add me” functionality in cocktails. Next up, Di Moldenberg is back with an interview with tech enthusiast Taylor Lloyd. A clip of Google product manager Kenny Sulaimon playing with a puppy was apparently based on Buzzfeed’s long-running “Celebrities Playing with Puppies” series, although the brand was not endorsed.
Here’s what follows: Jimmy Butler and Google VP of Marketing Daryl Butler (no relation) join Complex’s Joe La Puma for his sneaker Shopping show, which is also another popular show on YouTube. Back to Die Moldenberg, now interviewing Science founder Mark Robb. Actor/influencer Joe Ando of “Can I Make You a Dress” fame designed a pastel yellow dress for Palmer. The evening ended with a performance by The Beaches.
All of this happened in just 30 minutes, a carefully orchestrated corporate parade that showcased not only Google’s phones but also modern stars and what YouTube considers its hottest TV show of the modern era.
Throughout, Palmer plays the perfect host. Wearing another chic two-piece—this time matching the Pixel 9’s holly hue—Palmer reminded viewers throughout the livestream that “this event is sponsored by Google and all participants will be honored for their Get paid for recognition.
