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In 2009, Verizon, Google and Motorola came to us for help. The iPhone was an unchecked threat to each of them. And no one had been able to loosen Apple’s hold on the emerging smartphone market. Motorola had a device that had yet to be named. Google had an opensource OS called “Android” that had failed to gain any traction. Only later did we learn Google was thinking of shuttering Android if this next effort didn’t succeed.
Our idea was pretty simple. To condense “Android” to the simpler and more telegraphic “Droid”. And to create a darkly powerful alternative universe to the ultra-bright, terminally cheerful iPhone world. Wired Magazine published an article detailing the launch here:
In March of 2015, Business Insider ran this article on the success of Android and Droid.
Google created a visual heat map showing the success of Android at the launch of Droid in this video. You can see Droid launch at about :30 Android would go on to become the number one mobile OS in the U.S., and eventually, the world.
Time Magazine would name Droid “Gadget of The Year”
Engadget followed.
Droid was a unique opportunity to create a brand from the ground-up. We designed the logo. The packaging. Typeface.
We worked with industrial designers and photographers to etch metal plates with acid to create a library of background textures that was unlike anything else out there.
Building out the brand’s core elements, each device was preloaded with ringtones, wallpaper options and a unique boot animation that had subtle connections to the interior specifications and abilities.
We also created the Droid audio mnemonic. Which remains the default alert setting for every device we launch. The mnemonic would also come at the head of video assets both online and in broadcast. Providing a connective audio layer between ad space and the real world.
We’ve done upwards of 16 Droid launches now. Android and IOS now divide the U.S. market right down the middle at about 47% market share a piece. But Android still enjoys a huge advantage worldwide.