Looks like Apple has a new QuickTime logo. The shiny, chrome 3D design is to replace the gel version that’s been kicking around for a few years, and will represent Apple’s movie player with the QuickTime X (as in ten) release. I suppose this is timed to coincide with the rollout of Apple’s new operating system upgrade, Snow Leopard 10.6. Unlike the hideous MobileMe logo design, this is classic Apple design goodness, and the new version works well within the Cupertino company’s family of icons and logos – arguably the best branding design package around today. The QuickTime logo has been updated regularly, almost with every major update release (below).
As an interesting aside, General Motors came under criticism from some design quarters a couple of years ago when they rolled out their new Goodwrench logo, complete with an aqua gel treatment (below). Many opined that it looked suspiciously like the QuickTime mark and wondered if the now bankrupt car company had borrowed a few tricks from Apple designers. While certainly similar, not sure if it qualified as a ‘rip’ of Apple, though it does look remarkably like the ubiquitous “power on” symbol used on many electronic devices and appliances. The reason I’m mentioning this now is that I wasn’t aware of this ‘controversy’ at all until I poked around the Internet, researching this post.
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I noticed this rebranding during Apple’s expo screencaps from last week. I had been unable to dig up the ref. image since then. Cudos on locating it.
Up until now, the spinning bar at the center has never intersected with the Q’s tail. Now that it does intersect – becoming one – it does look cleaner and more cohesive as a design.
However, if your perception digs just below the surface -
- if you flip this new branding upwards, it starts to take on the physical appearance of the symbol for Mars, commonly used as a sexual symbol representing Man. If you take a quick peak on Wikipedia, you’ll gleam the following info about the male symbol -
“From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Mars symbol (♂) may refer to:
The male gender
The chemical element iron”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_symbol
Is it not a strong coincidence that the Q just happens to have the appearance of being made out of iron?
So let’s do the math: Male symbol + pink center + phallic-like Q “tail”
Before you think I’m crazy on that last one, know that phallic symbolism has been used for thousands of years.
http://www.google.com/search?h.....38;spell=1
It doesn’t honestly matter to me who Apple tries to appeal to, I use their OS as it’s one of the easiest to manage, isn’t virus laden and generally looks good while getting the job done.
Some other points of related interest -
Apple comes in first place when ranked as gay-friendly
http://gizmodo.com/390269/appl.....amsung-not
http://arstechnica.com/apple/n.....brands.ars
@ Paul – nice of you to drop by (Ed – Paul was a senior designer at The Logo Factory for the better part of ten years). It wasn’t easy tracking down a pristine version of the logo (see below) as it doesn’t seem to have hit wide circulation just yet.
Some interesting links you got there (still a fan of arcane trivia I see). Like you, I’ve been a fan of Apple at it’s OS for years. I remember my first Mac – a Power PC 6100/66 (66 megahertz of blazing speed). I also remember my second Mac – a funky Performa Tower. If I remember correctly I think you and I had some disagreements about the wisdom of that purchase – LOL.
[...] Or QuickTime X – quite a change from the nearly-20-year-old QuickTime logo before it (above – courtesy of The Logo Factory). [...]
glad you like the logo. Back in the day when I was working at apple, the project manager for quicktime came into creative services and asked my boss for help with an icon (at the time the project code name was warhol, and the icon was a soup can) they were going to show John Scully the next day (friday) and asked if he could do anything to help… My boss asked me, I created it in a night, and it stuck. We had to fit it into a package of “brands” truetype, etc. thats why the four square colors. Was happy to be a part of apples history. – Carl Stone
@Carl
Thanks for dropping by and giving us a little more back-story to the design. Appreciated.