KEVIN! Macaulay Culkin Returns in Google’s Home Alone Homage

Macaulay Culkin has been revisiting the role that made him a worldwide star at the age of ten. Fresh from a round of Home Alone video game reviews on YouTube, he is also starring in a Google Assistant ad that recreates some of the movie’s most iconic scenes. 

The spot sees Macaulay-as-Kevin set traps for the Wet Bandits – but this time he’s got a Google Home device to help, so he’s not quite alone as he was in the original 1990 film.  Devised by Arts & Letters, a Richmond-based creative agency, the film was directed by Mike Warzin at the similarly-named LA-based production company  Arts & Sciences.

While Macaulay is front and centre, the other real star of the spot is production designer Clement Price-Thomas whose attention to detail when re-building the McAllister interior décor is really something. That wallpaper seriously ups the nostalgia factor. But despite the faithful recreation, we are reminded of times inexorable lurch forward – 38-year-old Culkin experiences a bit of a back twinge after his enthusiastic bed-bouncing session. We feel you.

It’s a late entry to the annual Christmas ad race, but since launching on Wednesday the ad has garnered over two million views. It’s a strong argument for not releasing festive ads in early November and instead waiting to launch just as people are actually in the holiday headspace and have started their annual Christmas movie binge.