Several theories have emerged about the origin of the iconic logo of "Apple." Some have suggested it was a nod to Isaac Newton, who is famous for formulating the theory of gravity when an apple fell on his head. Others believe it could be linked to British mathematician Alan Turing, who decrypted the German enigma during World War II. The codebreaker was convicted for engaging in a homosexual relationship, and was later found dead from cyanide poisoning with half an eaten apple next to him. "MailOnline" reveals the real reason behind the famous logo, which is much simpler than one might think.
The original Apple logo was inspired by Newton, as Apple co-founder Ron Wayne envisioned the scientist sitting under a tree. However, the more complex design was soon changed to the "Apple" logo we all know today, except for the rainbow pattern. The simple and elegant design has endured for decades, and Rob Janoff, the genius behind it, disclosed the true reason why the Apple logo had an impact on him.
When he designed the logo in 1977, Rob was working at "Regis McKenna," the agency responsible for launching "Apple." Neither Rob nor CEO Steve Jobs were as wealthy or developed as they are today, and Rob's only direction was, "Don't make it pretty." Rob told Forbes that the shape of the apple had nothing to do with computers at the time. He insisted on using the fruit, concerned that "Apple" would lose a lot of fun without it. Rob humorously stated, "This logo we all know today would never have happened if I listened to everyone."
He continued, "To make people notice that an Apple computer was not a solid piece of metal that had no place in your home and that your child didn’t want to be near, a lot of different fruits have a stem and are somewhat round with a leaf hanging off. So the bite in the apple was meant to signify that it was an apple and not something else."
The designer revealed that the bite in the apple distinguished the fruit from cherries, admitting in an interview with "Creative Bits" that the truth is somewhat disappointing. He added that "the bite metaphorically referred to all the knowledge contained in the computer, as well as relating to the computer term 'byte'." He mentioned that he "was not familiar enough with computers to see that initially," but was informed by a call from his creative director, "Chip."
Rob explained why the 1977 logo included all the colors of the rainbow, stating it related to the product's USP. He added, "The Apple computer was the only one that could display images in color." Unlike design changes that Apple would undergo today, Steve quickly approved the proposal. Aside from some color changes, the Apple logo has remained nearly the same since then, helping the tech giant become a multi-billion dollar corporation.
