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Roast gone wrong: Google disses Apple for marketing theft using an iPhone

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By Anam Hamid

Updated: Oct 21, 2022, 12:17 PM

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Roast gone wrong: Google disses Apple for marketing theft using an iPhone

Google has massively stepped up its smartphone game in recent times but it trails far behind industry bigwigs Samsung and Apple in sales. The company aims to double smartphone shipments in 2023 and has dialed up marketing to achieve that goal. Someone at the company made an oopsie this week when they tweeted from the official Pixel account using an iPhone to throw shade at Apple.

All the money in the world can't buy loyalty

Even though Google is a very old company, the Pixel Twitter account was created just this month and it looks like the person running it is still learning the ropes of Twitter, or is plain careless. Or maybe they are too attached to their iPhone and think it's the best phone around - better than the ones they get paid to promote.

What happened is that Apple's CEO Tim Cook took to Twitter on October 18 to send a promotional tweet for new iPads and used the tagline Take Note, which has long been used by the American professional basketball team Utah Jazz which competes in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

In plain and simple words, Apple - maybe unintentionally - stole a phrase that has been in use since 2016 and even created a custom Hashflag or animated emoji to draw attention to the new products

Google, which has been having beef with Apple over messaging standards and is also running a Google Pixel 7 "Okay, I See You" basketball-themed campaign in collaboration with NBA, was quick to take a swipe at Apple.

Haste makes waste

To ridicule Cook, the @GooglePixel_US account asked NBA fans to take note of Apple's CEO's use of the phrase, but the person managing the account mistakenly used an iPhone to send out that tweet. This didn't go unnoticed by Twitter users.

Google deleted the tweet and reposted it using the Twitter Web App but not before designer Ian Zelbo took a screenshot.

Hmmmm Okay, I See You. #TakeNote @NBA fans...#TeamPixel is here to get you closer to your favorite team - tell us yours and we might be able to make your NBA Tip-Off even better.
— Google Pixel (@GooglePixel_US) October 19, 2022

Associated Press reports that Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith reacted to Cook's use of the #TakeNote hashtag by saying:

That was weird. I saw that when you all did. Got to look into it."

Such gaffes are not rare in the tech world, though usually they come from Samsung, so it's refreshing to see the marketing team of another rich company fail at something so simple for a change.

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Anam Hamid is a computer scientist turned tech journalist who has a keen interest in the tech world, with a particular focus on smartphones and tablets. She has previously written for Android Headlines and has also been a ghostwriter for several tech and car publications. Anam is not a tech hoarder and believes in using her gadgets for as long as possible. She is concerned about smartphone addiction and its impact on future generations, but she also appreciates the convenience that phones have brought into our lives. Anam is excited about technological advancements like folding screens and under-display sensors, and she often wonders about the future of technology. She values the overall experience of a device more than its individual specs and admires companies that deliver durable, high-quality products. In her free time, Anam enjoys reading, scrolling through Reddit and Instagram, and occasionally refreshing her programming skills through tutorials.

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