Reimagining a product family
When Google acquired Nest, the challenge wasn’t just merging teams, it was blending two distinct brand DNAs. Google stood for accessible tech at scale, with a playful, at times wacky brand expression. Nest brought warmth, elegance, and thoughtful design to the smart home.
With the acquisition, all hardware–from thermostats to phones–was unified under the Google banner.
As Head of Brand Expression on Google’s in‑house team, Alessio led the global creative rollout across web, packaging, retail, and photography–not o mention how the brands would merge at a product level (in apps, emails, and home controls).
The goal was to build a visual identity that felt ownable by Google, while reconciling it with Nest’s somewhat divergent heritage.
It was a global reinvention, so Alessio focused on creating a cohesive design system that could flex from a Nest thermostat to a Pixel phone.
Photography shifted to feel more human and lifestyle-led, with campaigns shot by talents like Cass Bird.
Packaging became minimal and recyclable. Retail and digital systems scaled globally while remaining locally relevant.
This creative platform launched flagship products, and Google more than doubled Pixel sales year‑over‑year, contributing to a record 7.2 million units sold–its best‑ever hardware performance at the time.
Our approach
Merge two worlds without compromise
We honored Google's technological credibility while preserving Nest's sense of thoughtful and human design. The result was a brand expression that felt both accessible and optimistic.
Create a new common visual language
We redefined product photography and campaign art direction: elegant, real, and emotionally resonant. This style became the foundation for Google's hardware and is still used today.
Design for global scale, not uniformity
Every system–from packaging to retail to web–was built to flex. We created toolkits and guidelines that enabled consistent storytelling across regional offices, with their unique demands, diverse markets, product lines, and cultures.
Collaborators
Photography
Cass Bird, Matthew William, Robert Schlatter
This work was created by the internal creative team Alessio led at the time.
