The name’s Sony...Sony Mobile

Sony Pictures’ latest James Bond film Skyfall will be used as part of a major marketing campaign to promote Sony Mobile’s latest smartphone, due to be launched this autumn, Mobile understands.

Sources claim that the manufacturer has linked up with Sony Pictures and inked an exclusive deal with a network operator that could see the new Sony smartphone launched with promotional links and trailers to the film, set to debut in October.

The campaign could also see the new smartphone feature in the film along with other Sony products, including the latest Sony Vaio laptop.

The move reflects the company’s wider strategy to promote its smartphones as part of a converged offering of Sony products, including Sony Pictures and Sony Music, as well as Sony tablets, TVs and PCs.

Linking its devices to its entertainment business is seen by Sony Mobile as an important USP for its smartphone portfolio, making them stand out from its competitors’ offerings.

Speaking to Mobile last month, Sony UK & Ireland marketing director Catherine Cherry said: ‘Customers want to look beyond the core smartphone experience and we are working on that with all our partners in the Sony family to bring that to our customers.’

This latest marketing campaign follows a major £17m promotion launched in March to drive sales of Sony’s first own-branded smartphone, the Sony Xperia S, and subsequent high spending campaigns to promote the Xperia P and Xperia U smartphones launched last month.

Linking Sony smartphones with the company’s other products and services is seen as key to raising the profile of the Sony Mobile brand in consumers’ minds following its high profile split with Ericsson last year, which saw the end of the joint venture that produced Sony Ericsson phones and the launch of Sony Mobile Communications’ first Sony-branded phone, the Xperia S.

Sony Mobile Communications declined to comment on the reports.

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