(Bloomberg) — Alphabet Inc.’s Google is bringing back its Original Chips snack in Japan, offering flavored potato chips branded with the company’s name to promote its upcoming smartphone release.
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Google launched the first version of the campaign last year to publicize its Tensor processor — the first of its kind designed in-house and the product of four years of development. The snacks were an immediate hit, and this year’s reprise offers 2,000 people the chance to grab a bag via a lottery.
A choice of Snow Cheese, Hazel Onion, Salty Lemon or Obsidian Pepper flavors mirrors the color options of the Pixel 7 devices. Google seeks to showcase some of the potential of the world’s most popular mobile operating system through the flagship Android handsets, powered by the company’s second generation of Tensor chips.
The Mountain View, California-based company has been engaged in designing its own-brand smartphones for over a decade, dating back to its series of Nexus handsets that were produced in partnership with major phone makers. With the Pixel line, which first launched in 2016, Google took on the full set of design, assembly and distribution of handsets, bringing it in line with Apple Inc.
Despite grand marketing efforts such as sponsoring the NBA playoffs in the US, the Pixel has never broken out of its niche status and remains a small player. Outside the US, the device has found most success in Japan, where Google is exclusively launching its Original Chips, despite evident demand elsewhere around the world.
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