ID: DATE: 1976 to present
TITLE: Apple CLIENT:
DESIGNER: Rob Janoff CATEGORY:
Apple Inc began in 1976 (originally called Apple Computer Company). It was founded by two University dropouts named Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. At the time Apple was founded computers were beasts the size of a small couch that would only really be found in offices. Jobs and Wozniak’s vision was to make computers for the individual. Computers that were small enough to be kept in the home and that were user friendly enough that anyone could use it, you did not need office training.
The first Mac was built in Steve Jobs’ garage and consisted of just a computer, no keyboard monitor or case. By 1977 these things were added on. Then came the next prototype Apple II which brought colour graphics to the world of computing. In 1980, Apple went public.
Steve Wozniak realised his heart was not into running Apple and he left the business in 1983. By 1985 Jobs had left too, handing the company over to PepsiCo’s John Sculley. Jobs put his efforts into founding anew company named NeXT Software. He also took over Pixar Studios from Star Wars creator George Lucas and went on to be involved in major movies such as Finding Nemo and Toy Story. For the duration of the 80s Apple continued to make decent profits, many would say this was due to plans already set in place by Jobs before he left the company. Jobs was responsible for the creation of desktop publishing along with Adobe who at the time were a very small company.
After a gradual decline in Apple’s profits during the 90s, Steve Jobs eventually returned. He then went on to release products such as the iPod and the service iTunes. Steve Jobs passed away in 2011 though his legacy can still be seen through Apple’s branding and brand ethos today.
Apple’s branding has remained remarkably similar since the company began in the 1970s. Jobs came up with the name Apple and has since admitted they stuck with it for lack of a better name. He has however said he chose the name because he thought it was fun and wasn’t intimidating (which works well with the original vision of the computer being user friendly). There are several theories as to how Jobs decided upon the name Apple. One theory is that it was inspired by the story of Issac Newton being hit in the head by an apple falling from a tree. Whether this was Job’s theory or whether the theory inspired Jobs is unknown but he used it none the less as the first Apple logo. The first logo is a drawing of Issac Newton sitting under an apple tree. There is a banner surrounding him with “Apple Computing Co” in simple serif capitals. The company later decided on a far simpler design of an apple with a bite taken out of it, the logo which has changed very little to this day and is still used. Another Apple conspiracy theory comes from this logo. Many say this logo was inspired by Alan Turing a code breaker who died after eating a cyanide infused apple. Rob Janoff, the designer of the apple logo, claims this story is just “a wonderful urban legend”. The story of Adam and Eve is another popular theory over the apple logo origins, the apple representing knowledge. The first version of the Rob Janoff apple had a rainbow effect which depicted the colour capabilities of Apple II. It was accompanied by a bold modern font in lowercase (to maintain friendly nature of the company). The lettering eventually became redundant after it was decided the apple was recognisable enough on its own. In 1998, the apple changed to a clean black identity. It later took on a new look with gradients and 3D variations. Today it is back to looking like it did in 1998, clean and flat, usually grey or white.
Apple’s early ads maintained the user friendly ethos. They spoke about how they designed the computer so you as the consumer don’t have to worry about a thing. The simple nature of the brand can be seen everywhere you look. The layout of the store, the clean colour palette and even the ease of buying the products; there are no queues in store, just a happy apple employee with a pocket held card machine ready to help you make a seamless purchase.
Another thing apple is well known for is their use of hype leading up to a products release. These days most people will do little to no research before buying the new iPhone, iPhone users blindly trust Apple due to their masterfully constructed brand identity. Every year queues span the length of streets with early adopters desperate to be among the first to buy their latest tech. Apple is a perfect example of a company which knows if you make your brand your priority, everything else will fall in line.
http://beloved-brands.com/tag/the-apple-brand-story/
https://www.macworld.co.uk/feature/apple/history-of-apple-steve-jobs-mac-3606104/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Inc.
https://www.wired.com/2002/12/apple-its-all-about-the-brand/
http://www.loc.gov/rr/business/businesshistory/April/apple.html
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