Sony Ericsson draws crowd with Android dancer

Sony Ericsson used an unusual trick to drive sales of the Xperia Arc in China that was caught on video this weekend (below). A dance routine using a real dancer in an Android mascot costume showed off what's considered an impressive (and hilarious) routine in spite of, or potentially because of, the limited movement he had. The costume itself used a running fan to keep it inflated without affecting the sense of movement.

Android has occasionally had elaborate ad campaigns, including Super Bowl ads, but it's rare to see the mascot feature so promimently. Companies like Motorola often just use the Android as a symbol on the side to declare their loyalty to the platform.

The Xperia Arc is currently Sony Ericsson's halo phone for everywhere that isn't served by the Xperia Play and focuses on its namesake slim, arched shape. Android 2.3 and a second-generation Snapdragon make it one of the faster and more up-to-date phones on the market. Along with a new version of the Timescape UI and an eight-megapixel camera suited to low light, it represents much of the best Sony Ericsson could offer and might have earned Sony Ericsson's extra attention.

Few other phone makers have the inclination or the chance to try dancing to get attention: Apple usually shies away from anything that might seem less than tasteful, while others like RIM's BlackBerry and Symbian don't really have a mascot of their own.

By Electronista Staff