Android is the operating system that powers over 1 billion smartphones and tablets. Since these devices make our lives so sweet, each Android version is named after a dessert: Cupcake, Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich, and Jelly Bean. As everybody finds it difficult to stay away from chocolate we decided to name the next version of Android after one of our favorite chocolate treats, Kitkat®!
Google has apparently struck a wild licensing deal with Nestlé to use the name ‘KitKat’ for its next version of Android. Though the announcement of the name by Google’s Sundar Pichai this morning struck off an immediate wave of commentary, it seems to go deeper than just a name.
If you visit Google’s ‘about Android‘ page, you’ll see a full-on Kit Kat bar (the company uses ‘Kit Kat’, not ‘KitKat’ to describe the candy) with an Android-themed wrapper. A link to ‘see what you’ve won’ leads you to the U.S. site for Kit Kat bars. This is an extremely odd pairing for a tech company and a candy firm.
This is apparently a like-for-like cross-promotion deal. The contest will place Nexus 7 vouchers and Google Play credit in participating Kit Kat bars. There will also be a few actual Android-shaped bars in some markets.
The obvious benefits for Google include massive exposure in convenience stores and supermarkets. While Android devices big to small will bear the Kit Kat moniker, resulting in a swath of brand recognition boosting for the candy maker. Nestlé will produce over 50 million of those aforementioned Kit Kat bars with the Android mascot on them.
More Information @ TechCrunch
