Google wants everyone to know James Bond uses an Android phone

One of Apple’s most successful marketing strategies is product placement, especially when it comes to big blockbusters. Google, via Sony, wants to do the same for Android, starting with Skyfall, the latest James Bond spy film. Here’s what the Android account just posted on Google+:

Did you know James Bond uses an +Android smartphone in the latest movie, Skyfall? Get a chance to win the new Bond Phone, Xperia T the Android powered smartphone from Sony +Sony Xperia: http://campaigns.sonymobile.com/xperiacompetition/

As a sidenote, I want to point out that Android’s Twitter account, which usually mirrors everything the Google+ account sends out, has remained silent this time. Maybe the message was simply too long (it’s over 140 characters!).

Anyway, back to Skyfall. Since recent James Bond movies are produced in part by Sony Pictures Entertainment, it’s no surprise that Sony is making a point to promote its devices in the latest film as well. It’s also not the first time; as my editor Matthew Panzarino notes: in Casino Royale, Blu Ray disc players were featured prominently in the country club scene and Bond used two Sony Ericsson phones throughout the movie.

Now, Sony is going even further by pushing the Sony Xperia TL as the official James Bond phone. AT&T announced earlier this month it will be offering the device, which features a 1280×720 4.6-inch HD display, a 13-megapixel camera, 1080p video recording, and Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with an upgrade to Jelly Bean sometime later.

So the phone isn’t new, and neither is the Skyfall placement. Yet as far as we can tell, Google only started to endorse Sony’s marketing push today. In fact, the Google+ post was made by the Android account (as opposed to simply being a reshare of a Sony post) and points to a competition to win the phone. Furthermore, the link first tells the visitor about Sony Xperia on Google+ before they can continue.

It looks like Google and Sony have recently strengthened their relationship in the hopes that both will be able to benefit.