From iPhones to iPads, from iPods to iMacs, via iTunes, iCloud and the now old iBooks: for over a quarter of a century the prefix «i»initial for «Internet», represents for Apple a sort of trademark. It all started in 1998 when Ken Segallcreative director of the famous Apple advertising campaign Think differenthe convinced Steve Jobs to use it for the company’s new flagship product: a home computer featuring an innovative translucent design that was internally called MacMan. Yes, exactly theiMac, a device that would later mark the relaunch of Cupertino after the return of its co-founder. Well, 26 years since then, according to Segall the time has come to move on: «The “i” has to go – declared on Monday a Wired –. Now it is meaningless. Sure, Jobs built Apple around it, but remember: the “i” was always a sub-brand.”
The copyright problem
At the basis of this stance is the observation of the now 74-year-old advertiser that «for too long there have been companies that have used the “i” to indicate things connected to the Internet, and this is a problem for Apple, which is known for innovation.” First of all, a question of copyright: «There may be marketing experts according to whom Apple would be crazy to eliminate the prefix – after all, it is still ahead of some of the most important brands of all time – but cannot be protected», he explained. In other words, in her opinion the vowel has become too generic to remain effectively associated with the company. The marketing expert thinks the same way Ashwinn Krishnaswamy, founder of the New York agency Forge: «Today, connectivity is omnipresent. There is no longer the notion of online versus offline, so adding an “i” to products makes little sense. It’s a old and overused choice».
The scenarios
It is impossible to know whether these (authoritative) opinions will be taken into consideration by Apple, which since Jobs’ time has also connected its “i” to the terms “Individual» (Individual), «Instruct» (Educate), «Inform» (Inform) and «Inspire» (Inspire). Upon closer inspection, however, no scenario seems to be excluded. Net of the case of Apple TVwhich in 2007 the tech giant could not call iTV as it was already the name of a private British broadcaster, a more recently marketed device such as theApple WatchL’Apple Pencil and theApple Vision Pro in reality they seem to have already started to mark a break compared to the past (and the same goes for the streaming platform Apple Music). On the contrary, what has not yet happened – a true hypothetical revolution for the company – is the rebranding of those products currently characterized by the “i”. Should we prepare for the arrival of Apple Phone, Apple Pad and the like?
