The Original 1976 Apple logo depicts a woodcut of Newton’s Apple. The Apple from the Tree of Knowledge. With the inscription “Newton … A Mind Forever Voyaging Through Strange Seas of Thought … Alone.”
Interestingly enough during the time of this logo the Apple Computers brand did not achieve high sales levels. It is typical of an entrpreneurial start-up to venture out with a ‘lone ranger’ identity such as this theme. The desire for individualism and unique expression that is innate within every entrepreneur can often cause an isolated effect that is not profitable. As Marty Neumeier, author of the Brand Gap, said, ‘It takes a village to build a brand’.
The rebrand of the logo to the simplistic form of the multi-coloured apple with a bite out of it was a big step. ‘Byte into an Apple’ was the tagline that followed the ‘Rainbow Apple’. The symbol was based on the ‘forbidden fruit’ of the tree of knowledge (the Eden story in the bible). There is an element of ‘rebellion’ that runs through the veins of this brand, this symbolism taps into the archetypal rebellion in the eden story, when Adam & Eve were banned from Paradise.
The rebellious nature of the Apple brand gave it a strong opposing position in the category of computer technology, which in the 70′s comprised of generic brand names and product offerings. Even to the more recent campaigns of the PC vs Mac ads the theme of ‘this is what we are not’ is present in their communication. The very lifeline of this brand ran on creative individualism. Coupled with the Unique Selling Point of ‘Innovative Design’ this has led Apple to create a brand loyalty that has some mac users be seen as ‘fanatical’. In fact, members of this ‘brand tribe’ have gone so far as tattooing the symbol on their body.
0 Responses to “Evolution of a Logo – Apple Computers”