If the Google Assistant had been running the show at 671 Lincoln Blvd., Home Alone would have officially been the crappiest Christmas movie of all time.
In a new ad spot, designed to showcase the personal assistant’s varied skillset, Google enlisted Kevin McCallister himself (Macaulay Culkin) to add a Smart Home twist to the classic Christmas caper.
With a Google Home Hub display and Home Mini speaker at the wheel, adjusting the temperature in the vast McCallister residence can be achieved without confronting that terrifying, growling furnace in the basement.
Meanwhile, Kevin is able to use a security camera to ID the pizza delivery guy, and use voice commands to activate his August lock, before running a routine that’ll convince those dastardly Wet Bandits there’s a Christmas party ongoing at Chez McCallister.
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He’s able to enjoy his delicious microwavable macaroni and cheese dinner, instead of dancing around with strings tied around his limbs. Sure, they’ve got the timeline a little messed up – he doesn’t sit down to eat the mac & cheese until Harry & Marv come back during the final act – but you get the point.
Turns out it’s a lot easier to defend your house from bandits when you have the Google Assistant. Take it from @IncredibleCulk. #HeyGoogle pic.twitter.com/9OifLkJHOP
— Google (@Google) December 19, 2018
Google will be hoping for bumper sales of its smart display and speaker products this season as it seeks to invade homes with much more success than the Wet Bandits. Privacy advocates might argue whether Google’s intentions are any less sinister than those of the two hapless burglars.
But hey, Macaulay looks well, doesn’t he?
Personally, I’m torn between “hey this is clever and playful” and “why have you ruined Home Alone?” How about you? Let us know @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
