Google Nexus 5 running Google Android 4.4 possibly launching on Monday October 14 2013 - Google KitKat is the first Product Placement smartphone OS that'll Gimme me a Break

“We realised that very few people actually know the taste of a key lime pie. One of the snacks that we keep in our kitchen for late-night coding are KitKats. And someone said: 'Hey, why don't we call the release KitKat?'”

Excerpt from the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) interview with Director of Android Global partnerships John Lagerling

Google has announced the name of their latest Mobile Operating System, Google Android 4.4 as Google KitKat, surprising many , as we were expecting the next iteration to be Key Lime Pie as stated in “Gimme a break: Next Android called 'KitKat'”, published September 3, 2013 10:22 AM PDT by Seth Rosenblatt, CNET News. 

And already the rumours are flying about the New Operating System as noted in the article “Android 4.4 KitKat detailed again in new Nexus 5 photo leak”, published October 11, 2013 9:13 AM PDT by Josh Lowensohn, CNET News set to debut on Monday October 14^th 2013 or Tuesday October 15^th 2013 or even by the end of the month of October 2013 along with the Google Nexus 5 smartphone!

Now that we’ve gotten over the surprise, new rumours have painted a fairly simple picture of what to expect from Android 4.4 aka KitKat, which is expected to launch on Monday October 14^th 2013 as stated in “SNACK ON ALL THE RUMORS WE’VE HEARD ABOUT ANDROID ‘KITKAT’”, published October 9, 2013 by Andy Boxall, DigitalTrends or Tuesday October 15^th 2013 as stated in “Report: Google Nexus 5 and Android KitKat set for 15 October”, published 10 October 2013, 11:45am By Rich Trenholm, Crave, CNET News, allegedly the same date as a Developer Conference for the Google Nexus 5!

Even better, there’s an advertising tie-up with Nestle KitKat that’ll see KitKat, the super tasty and crunch Chocolate Confectionary made by Nestle, coming all dolled up in a Google Android themed wrapper as shown in a series of photos below. In fact, the KitKat candybars will be shaped like Google Android Man as part of the Promotion!

This is technically the First Mobile Operating System named after an actually existing snack, effectively a form of Product placement advertising as noted in “Google Goes For A KitKat, Not Key Lime Pie, In Next Android Version”, published 4 Sept 2013 by ReadWrite.

So how did this happen? After all, based on my handy tracking chart, the next Google Android OS was supposed to be Key Lime Pie, based on the list shown below:

1.      Cupcake

2.      Donut

3.      Eclair

4.      Froyo (short for frozen yoghurt)

5.      Gingerbread

6.      Honeycomb

7.      Ice Cream Sandwich

8.      Jelly Bean

The story is a little clearer the closer you get to Europe, as the idea originated with Director of Android Global partnerships John Lagerling as explained in the article “Android KitKat unveiled in Google surprise move”, published By Leo Kelion, Technology reporter, BBC.

Google Android KitKat – Google Programmers Origins in Alkali Lake

Google’s Director of Android Global partnerships John Lagerling had decided to contact Nestle when in late 2012, Google Engineers were having misgivings about Key Lime Pie

Fact: Key Lime Pie is the national Dish of Florida!

So it didn’t jive with the Californians, many of whom were just simply into KitKats. Truth be told, Googlers knew KitKats as a more common snack than Key Lime Pie. After all, who takes out a plate and cuts a slice of Pie (of any sort, ma Cherie!) while programming? KitKats sounds more Google-esque and the kinda snack you’d bump into in Google’s Headquarters confectionary dispensary!

Director of Android Global partnerships John Lagerling agreed and called the Swiss Miss (love that product!) Swiss Chocolatier, the brand holders of the product name. A day and one Conference Call later, the deal was sealed in early 2013. Nestle would produce 50 million KitKat Bars with the new Google Android KitKat Logo emblazoned for nineteen (19) of its markets. Those markets are as listed below:

1.      UK

2.      US

3.      Brazil

4.      India

5.      Japan

6.      Russia

Later on, the two companies made the agreement secretly during the MWC (Mobile World Congress), the Mobile Telecoms and Handset makers Conference that took place during the week of Monday February 25^th 2013 in Barcelona!

No money changed hands, as Google gets its brand for free on Nestle KitKat wrappers most likely in exchange for Google making all searches for “Chocolate”, “Candy Bar” or a combination of both to result in searches being redirected to Nestle KitKat Website. You can even check out their advert below at their website as well as these cool pictures of the making of the Google KitKat for the year long promotion!

Their advert mocks Apple’s Johnny Ive’s and his perfectionist slant towards Apple’s products in describing the Nestle KitKat Candy bar as being as perfect “confectionary perfectionary” as stated in “Nestle mocks Apple in ‘confectionary perfectionary’ KitKat 4.4 ad”, published September 4, 2013 by Trevor Mogg, DigitalTrends when compared to the Apple OS.

Something tells me that Google is gonna have a lot of fun this year with Nestle KitKat!

Google and Nestle – Twist of Fate sealed in KitKats

What amazes many was that the whole thing was keep secret for so long! Even in this age of Social Networks, smartphones and email! But their methods were simple indeed and hearken back to the days of WWII! The true nature of the Google tie-in with Nestle was held close to the breast of a tight-knit Team who knew the details, so faithful they were to the Great Google Android Man!

They did this by constantly referring to the whole project by the name Key Lime Pie ad nauseum. Thus anyone spying on their proceeding and then proceeding to blab to the press would always refer to the new OS as Key Lime Pie instead of the secret and true name KitKat. It was done to the point that even the very Google staffers knew nothing else. They only knew when the KitKat Man was placed on the front of Google’s lawn, signifying to all Google Staffers the new name of Google Android 4.4: KitKat!

Effectively, Google Android 4.4 aka KitKat becomes the first Operating System be it on Smartphones, Tablets or Laptops to be branded via a Product Placement Campaign. Advantage Google and Nestle: everyone knows and loves Nestle KitKat and their Candy Bar, like Google Android, is globally identifiable with food and fun times!

Google Android KitKat – What’s the Danger in a Food-Themed Name?

The change from “Key Lime Pie” to a branded product “KitKat” is not without risks. According to Simon Myers, a partner at the consultancy Prophet, quote: “If your brand is hooked up with another, you inevitably become associated with that other brand, for good or ill. If that brand or business has some reputational issues that emerge, it would be naive to think as a brand owner that your good name, your brand equity, would not be affected”.

Nestlé’s Marketing Chief Patrice Bula aka the “Swiss Miss” while recognizing the branding risks of associating Nestle KitKat with Google realized that both of their Brands had little to lose by taking a leaf out of Tessanne Chin’s “Try” as noted in my blog article entitled “Social Media backlash over Television Jamaica's decision to buy rights to NBC's The Voice - Power of the Middle Classes wielding Apple iPhones as FLOW AI is watching you”.

Nestle's Marketing Chief Patrice Bula was at pains to point out that the brand association had great potential, quote: “When you try to lead a new way of communicating and profiling a brand you always have a higher risk than doing something much more traditional. You can go round the swimming pool 10 times wondering if the water is cold or hot or you say: 'Let's jump.'”.

Despite this optimism, the risks are very real! Google Android 4.4 is prone to problems typical of any Beta version of any smartphone OS. That’ll reflect badly on Nestle’s KitKat Candy bar. Equally, Nestle is currently facing problems as it relates to a boycott of its products over their attempts to patent everything from water to certain naturally occurring plant remedies means as stated in “Google Might Have Walked Into A Nestle Boycott Problem With Android KitKat”, published 9/04/2013 @ 9:10AM by  Tim Worstall, Contributor, Forbes.

With Google+ now a conquering success at 500 million active users like House Lannister’s “Hear me Roar” as stated in my blog article entitled “Google+ is expanding rapidly and is set to beat Facebook by 2016 - Batman the Dark Knight Rises as the new Social Network King”, they’re easily becoming an easy target.

This as they’ll get flack from BOTH anti-privacy and anti-GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) Groups that have an axe to grind again BOTH Google and Nestle, now that they’re officially married! So expect protesters at their launch of the Google Nexus 5 smartphone, which I must honestly say, intrigues me very little, oweing to the lack of any solid facts on the device

All of this, though, we’ll find out come Monday 14^th October 2013. What’s got my interest piqued is whether or not these Android Themed candy bars will end up coming to Jamaica. It seems only fair, as we’re south of the United States and we do have a local Nestle representative for their products, which many Jamaicans consume, KitKat  candy bars included.

It isn’t hard to see Telecom Provider Digicel and Nestle or Nestle and Telecom Provider LIME in an advertising tie up involving redeeming KitKat Candy bar Wrappers in exchange for a new Google Android Nexus 5. So I’m hopeful that this will also be revealed here in Jamaica a few weeks after the launch, as albeit smartphone love is slowly growing, we do love KitKat and nothing gets Millenials (ages 18 to 28) more motivated than Chocolate! 

In the meantime, for all the chocolate lovers drooling over my page, check out the Nestle KitKat Website and these cool pictures of the making of the Google KitKat for the year long promotion!

Gimme me a Break of that KitKat Bar!