Apple Inc= Lifestyle Inc?
Introduction.
Established on 1 April 1976 in Cupertino, California. Incorporated on 3 January 1977 as Apple Computer. Become Apple Inc on 9 January 2007 to reflect the company´s ongoing expansion into the consumer electronics market in addition to its tradicional focus on personal computer. ( www.apple.com, apple investor relations 02.03.2007)
Apple Inc- The beginning. Logo, first logo,Wayne, depicts Sir Isaac Newton sitting under an apple tree. The bitten logo was designed that it wouldnt be recognised as another fruit. In connection to the culture, the logo, it may inspired by apple from biblical verse of adam and eve. The idea is to be dared to try and to discover a new thing at your own risk and beyond your expectation/imagination. (Wayne: business logo of Ronald Wayne, one of the Apple founder. Wayne is original logo he designed for Apple Computer). (Sir Isaac Newton, on of his idea developed a theory of colour based on the observation that a prism decomposes white light into many colours that form the visible spectrum: one general idea into various definitions).
The logo related to the history or it has inspired from the past as the creator/owner wants to relate people with what they already familiar in order easily to influence others about their new ideas. (text on the bottom of the logo, Wayne:Newton,... A mind forever voyaging through strange seas of thought alone. “ A mind forever voyaging� is interactive fiction game designed and implemented by Steve Meretzky. The title A mind forever voyaging is taken from book three of Prelude by William Wordsworth. The antechapel where the statue stand of Newton with his prism and silent face. The marble index of mind forever, Voyaging through strange seas of thought alone. ...the idea of exploring to beyond someone imagination and expectation).
Apple Inc- On the stage. Most of Apple products have a very simple and intuitive design. Its design can be categorised into classical style. Classic= original,always, exclusive and also polisemic/multi intrepretation. The design come with simple design that can last forever, just adding and upgrading its application. The idea of classic become even stronger with their i-x branding system, ipod, ipad, iphone, etc. (compared with coca cola seasonal bottle image graphic).
“i� could be stand as I(my), intelligent, interaction depending on the user self interpretation when they use the products. It is about technology and also about individuality and mind/perception. Borrowing the idea of narcissus, new technology as self potret of our new identity.
Apple Inc-The arena. Cultural point of view. Appropriation, Apple Inc= Pandora box, to borrow the idea of discovery a new thing when you start to try to discover. Apple tries to deconstruct how modern lifestyle should be by introducing new gadget/ product into their new lifestyle language or definition and to educate- to create viral yet to market their new idea in order to attract people to come and try then consume their product or idea. Furthermore they educate people regardless their age, gender and socio cultural background of their new lifestyle/ new culture how people should interact with other and with its device in order to have better lifestyle. ( classified as rhetoric: ancient art connected to the language, for comparison with HItles, Mao Tze Tung propaganda of the idea of utopia).
Apple infact not a really a computer company, as they are not manufacture company, they just selling and marketing company that selling new lifestyle in the name of new urban technolistyle. (ref. John Sculley told Guardian newspaper in 1997:� People talk about technology, but Apple was a marketing company. It was the marketing company of the decade. Wired News: Apple: Its all about the brand, 2002.) People tends to buy their products: iphone, ipad, itunes because they want to create their own personal image as depicted by the Apple Inc culture.They want to take part and to see themselves as part of this new era of lifestyle. (Obama wants a health plan this year, compare with ilife is still...)
Apple Inc=lifestyle inc, an epilogue. This cultural an谩lisis aims to investigate how Apple can become a new trendsetter in term of human perception toward life, new interaction way amongs people and their future. Apple Inc believed in order to create their new market for their own product, they required to create an utopia, a new World, a new culture by being Apple aficionados . It has successfully created and become a great brand image and new century cult/religi贸n for its admired.
Widianto UTOMO/ IED/MDI/EDL 2011, cultural analysis, 25.03.2011