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Comment by Freak_NL | Hacker News Reader

A non-generic brand name for their O-release? Did they strike a deal with Nabisco/Cadbury? I can't imagine Google doing this without some form of legal go-ahead from the trademark owner.

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Of course. Would be interesting to know what the exact quid pro quo is for deals like this though (who pays whom, and how much, etc.).

Yeah, I wonder which brand benefits more from this. I would imagine Oreo since there are far more cookie brands than mobile OS's.

Something tells me no one is paid but Oreo benefits with free advertising for their cookies/biscuits

At first I thought so too, but the brand dilution that is going to happen has to have some negative penalty.

Oreo will receive "free" marketing, but now will have to share the name with a version of a mobile OS.

When Kitkat came out, they decided it was mutually beneficial and didn't pay each other.

They did the same thing wit KitKat.

Getting ready for Android Raiders, with doubled security through two fingers fingerprint reader.

I'm holding out for Android Diet Mountain Dew

They licensed KitKat as well. Yes, it was an official deal - They even had android themed/branded KitKats that they gave out at launch events.

KitKat is also trademarked by Hersheys and Google use it. This was of course done in partnership with Hersheys.

edit:// a little late with this

Actually, KitKat is trademarked by Nestlé. Hersheys has a limited license to produce it in the US, and the ad campaign for Android was done with Nestlé.

(And the Nestlé version actually uses real swiss chocolate, and tastes a lot nicer)

Well, Google/Alphabet are an advertising company.

Fairly obviously a licensing/marketing deal.

"The world's favorite cookie" right in the first caption. Almost subliminal images of Oreos in the background as you scroll.

They did, of course. Little known fact: Google is one of the largest tenants in Chelsea Market, which used to be the factory were Oreos were first made.

In case of 4.4 KitKat it was the idea of Nestle's advertising agency, J. Walter Thompson [0]. It was novel at the time, and it as more than just jumping on the letter "K", because it tied the "have a break, have a kitkat" line with the idea that people reach for their smartphones when they have a break. Now I imagine it's just people in suits negotiating the deal for the next release name.

[0] https://jwt.co.uk/work/android

Disclosure: I have worked for a JWT subsidiary at the time.

I think you're overselling JWT's involvement. That link just says that the brokered the deal, not that it was their idea.

All the stories I've heard[1] say the idea came from Google as Hiroshi Lockheimer (now head of Android & Chrome OS) was a big fan of KitKats.

1: https://www.theverge.com/2013/9/3/4691040/android-kitkat-the...

I wonder who paid who..

And in cookies or dollars

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