Beloved poet Maya Angelou is the star of a new Google campaign

One of the 20th Century’s most beloved poets has found herself fronting a new campaign for Google’s video calling app from beyond the grave.

Maya Angelou, who passed away in May 2014, stars in the new spot, Share the Love, which debuted online this weekend gone.

Using footage originally shot in 2010 for an Emmy-nominated Oprah Winfrey series (Oprah’s Master Class), Angelou is seen and heard reciting Love Liberates, a monologue on the power of that most elusive of things – love.

Unsurprisingly, the new ad isn’t just a showcase for Angelou’s indomitable literary talents, and viewers are treated to a glimpse at some of the features that Google is evidently very proud of when it comes to Duo.

Handily for all concerned, Angelou’s exploration of love’s refusal to be diminished by distance is a pretty handy metaphor for a video calling service that allows you to communicate with your nearest and dearest no matter how far away they are.