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by Richard Bird

What Does An Apple Have To Do With A Computer?

Early concepts for a new identity program we’re working on have been put in front of focus groups for comment. We can’t yet speak about the client or their business. But, let’s say they build coffee machines and one of our concepts revolves around the image of a butterfly.

Say what?

Exactly.

Of course, we hear, “What does a butterfly have to do with coffee machines?”

And we do not hear, “I love it.”

Instinctively, we know that this idea could be a killer presence that would instantly elevate awareness of the brand and should propel sales of the company’s quality product, but… we can’t prove it. Larger numbers or different test methods are not likely to prove the idea reliable, beyond doubt, for any CFO.

Rational, left-brain analysis will reduce a right-brain revelation to mediocrity or statistical irrelevance every time.

Wait a minute. How about these odd couples:

An Apple and The Beatles?
An Alligator and Sportshirts?
A Rock and Insurance?
A Dog and Radios?
An Egg and Hosiery?

(How many more do you know?)

Interesting things to think about:

These everyday objects previously had no relationship to the product or service they now represent
the curiousity of the disconnect surely garners attention, and
these symbols have now become synonymous with the company, a product or even an entire industry.

Surely, it was the passion, conviction and courage of a champion that brought these things to market. The entrepreneur, a CEO, a persistent designer.

Imagine, before it all happened, what the future might have held for some of these ideas if the go or no-go decision was made solely on the anlayses of numbers.

There are 10 comments so far | Post a comment

niv said:

i think the disconnect in your examples is a bit off.

the beatles label was apple records.
this is your best example (hehe)
consistent, reliable insurance is what the rock tells me.
sirius is both a dog and a constellation, which fits nicely with satellite radio
the hosiery comes in little eggs

so maybe you should stick with the lacoste example, though the more i think about it the more that seems to be a play on the ralph lauren polo horse… but maybe i’m reaching.

if the butterfly fits in nicely with the name/image of your client company in the same way as those examples do, it is a definite stroke of genius on your part.

A. Fruit said:

OK… How about: The ingredients for the coffee changes itself into a beatiful morning beverage, after a period of transformation (pupa).

These connections can be easily bulls**tted, and really have no bearing on the effectiveness of an actual logo mark. Albeit, they can make cleaver ‘fluff’ for selling the concept (which can be highly important, especially if you’re trying to sway a direction in the clients mind), however the criteria for which makes an effective logo do not involve this.

And of course, literal visual relationships to the actual product (say a coffee bean) is an immediate submission to mediocrity, and in turn a less effective logo mark.

Shape, color, composition, and the immediate recognition / response they trigger upon viewing have far greater impact on the effectiveness of a logo mark then symbolism, analogy, innuendo, etc.

edward said:

Um, the dog and the radio was for RCA, right? I definitely didn’t think of Sirius.

However, it’s difficult to distinguish between whether you’re suggesting a corporate logo, mascot or brand.

A corporate logo, of course, can easily include an object that is only tangentially related to the product being sold. (Apple -> Apple Computers) But if it isn’t tied to the name, it needs to be tied in somehow to the actual product (Winged Mercury -> Speed -> FTD Flowers, for instance) A mascot, on the other hand, can be completely unrelated. (The Geico Gecko, for instance). A “brand” however conceived typically falls somewhere between the two. (Why should FedEx have blue and orange as its’ colors? No clue.)

On your list, you’ve listed 3 logos and a brand and an actual object. Not that applicable to your coffee example. A better example would be comparing Juan Valdez to Starbucks. Obviously, Juan Valdez evokes a quick connection between Columbia and Coffee…but why would a split-tailed Mermaid do just as well (if not much much better) for Starbucks?

SCannady said:

I think Bumble bees. Hard working, pollenating Bees. Humm thats an idea….

Jordan Wollman said:

I don’t think the point Mr. Bird was trying to make with his analogies was the actual connections, but the perceived connection. I didn’t know that Sirius was a dog, but I do know that the company Sirius’ logo has a dog and I know it works well for their image.

I often find myself making interesting visual pairs, not necessarily with immediate, or even obvious connections—sometimes with no connection at all—and am unable to sell the client. Their right-brain thinking, churning out their statistics, clobbers my burst of creative genius and what they’re left with is a mediocre, lackluster, unoriginal logo/mark, which, ultimately they end up unhappy with.

Selling them on the right one is the hardest part of my job.

Ryan Nichols said:

I think A. Fruit alluded to the answer, but I’ll state it more clearly.

The logo’s purpose is recognition, and conveying some sort of essence of a message. Direct connection to the product? No need, it’s doesn’t necessarily help or hurt the logo’s recognition. Apple and computer? No connection, but is it memorable? Does it standout in the computer industry? Yup. You won’t forget it or confuse it. That’s a sucess.

Now the message part? Completely abstract and can speak on emotional or rational level. So here, yes you can use a direct tie-in, but the companies message isn’t conveyed any better or worse because of it. I think the rock is the best example. It’s what a rock can stand for that conveys the message of the company. Strength, reliability. That’s the connection.

The butterfly and coffee machines? Could be the most perfect symbol in the world, if a butterfly symbolizes the qualities that are important to the product and company.

dale headrick said:

The examples you’ve given only prove the irrelevance of any specific symbol.

If you’re lucky enough to have a product with ingenuity and integrity, you can tack anything under the sun to it and that will be all the proof necessary that you’ve chosen the right symbol to motivate consumers.

Sharif said:

The Lacoste crocodile originated as the nickname of founder Rene Lacoste, a pretty famous pro tennis player in the 20’s and 30’s… so today’s disconnect made more sense at the time.

Richard Bird said:

For those following along…

The details referred to in the first entry are disguised, yet the premise is accurate.

We’ve just recently been informed that the project has been indefinitely suspended.

Why? Though our client was inexplicably drawn to our conclusion, the same could not make the leap required to sign off on the recommendation that their brand and product line would be best distinguished from competition through a non-literal, yet exceedingly memorable, visual icon.

Anonymous said:

wile you very briefly begin to touch on the question, before getting into another topic about other icons. you dont answer the question. point blank. no philosophies . what does an APPLE have to do wot computers? Is the question. To put it clearly in case of confusion, I want To Know, Why the word apple was used. And to what reference.

Yes there are a lot of other names for business that don’t make immediate sense either. though they seem similar. I asked about apple, So please answer the question about apple, and dont make me read a couple pages before briefly touching on