The advert features Simu Liu and both of his parents speaking almost exclusively in Mandarin and leans on well-worn tropes of familial intervention and career expectations. The mandarin dialogue is accompanied by English subtitles for the most part, however, a couple of cuts to the Pixel 6 translating the Lius’ words in real-time flex its ability to function as an interpreter in 45 languages. Born in China but raised in Toronto, Liu has gained worldwide recognition for his portrayal of Marvel’s Shang Chi but was already a household name among Canadians after playing Jung Kim in the Toronto-set sitcom Kim’s Convenience, making him a perfect pick for Google Canada.

Google’s collaboration with Liu for a predominantly Mandarin – which is not one of Canada’s two official languages – campaign is significant, especially around Chinese New Year. With 18- to 49-year-olds giving the highest viewing ratings to Hollywood films with at least 21% minority casts, there’s a continued desire for on-screen diversity – as an homage to the Canadian cultural mosaic, this Pixel 6 spot satisfies that appetite. And Liu himself embodies the reality and normality of celebrating the Lunar New Year in Canada and around the world as part of the Chinese diaspora. Like Burberry ringing in the Year of the Ox and Apple’s short film ‘The Comeback’, this holiday is a normal part of people’s lives all around the world, and centring these experiences in a non-tokenistic way is the key to celebrating them respectfully.