Desi Apple

Now that’s a launch !

It pushes all the right emotional buttons and it’s the soul of simplicity. And it’s the sort of work possible when the brand name and logo merge seamlessly into a single entity. Forbes magazine has rated it as the most valuable brand in the world.

And the ‘coolness’ factor that it embodies is beyond price.  It is one of those brands that doesn’t even bother to advertise in some key markets; the product pull is so strong that customers seek information on their own, and update each other on new launches and delivery dates.

It was not always so.  The original logo was a B&W pen and ink drawing of Newton sitting under the apple tree, but Steve Jobs (whose idea that was) had the good sense – and the lack of ego – to bring in designer Rob Janoff.  After a week spent drawing apples, Janoff arrived at the minimalistic graphic that is now the ultimate branding icon.

Which leads me to think that Naomi Klein, author of No Logo, was a dangerously naive idealist.