It’s official. Apple has sent out an invite to the Press on Jan 18th, via email. The invite, with a simple ‘Come see our latest creation’ has confirmed wild rumours about the event and has fuelled even more speculative frenzy.
I loved the simplicity and intrigue of the invite. The ‘tease’ of not revealing what the event is about, the suggestive nature of ‘creation’, the use of a color splashes – all seem to have had the right effect. Everyone is analyzing hidden meanings behind each element. AllThingsD asks, ‘one wonders if the “creation” to be unveiled is touch and pressure sensitive and might, perhaps, come accompanied by a stylus or other input tool that could be used by illustrators and designers‘. Engadget refers the inclusion of splatter paint and the use of the word “creation” and wonders if the ‘focus could be slanted towards art, music, and movie-making‘.
The last month or so has seen wild speculation on the what will be launched on Jan 27: the Apple tablet, iPhone 4.0 software, next-gen hardware for iPhone and so on. Short of expecting the Apple Tablet to make coffee and come with a pet poodle every other possibility has been examined. Apple has said nothing about the Tablet but people were even offered $100,000 for proof that it exists. Very few brands command such frenzy and passion. No other company’s product launches are so eagerly awaited – with such regularity.
In movie marketing – every movie is positioned as best in class entertainment and the PR machinery creates pre-release hype. Which doesn’t gurantee box office success. The hype around Apple could lead one to believe that it’s all well-orchestrated, persuasive marketing. It wouldn’t work if the product failed to delight the consumer. No wonder millions including yours truly will be glued to the Jan 27 event.
And here’s the irony. People like me will be following the event minute-by-minute through live blogs, get very excited, discuss it later among friends, read up the reviews and watch the keynote. But going by the iPhone 3GS experience, what is being announced may never see light of day in India and cost significantly more than the US price. Yet, the army of voluntary Apple evangelists will continue to get enthused about all things Apple. Even an email invite from the company.