Eye Bee M

I recently installed an old IBM screensaver on my new laptop – which, although not actually a Big Blue product anymore, still sports that iconic branding. The whimsical animated play on IBM makes me smile every time the screensaver kicks in. The concept of the eye, the bee, and the striped M was created by Paul Rand, the designer of the classic IBM logo; I dont know if he had anything to do with the animated version. (thoughts on IBM/Lenovo branding follow)

It made me wonder about the branding of my laptop: the Thinkpads are still considered by almost everybody to be ‘IBM Laptops’, and are still branded as such: mine, a brand new t60p designed and manufactured by Lenovo, has the red, green, and blue ‘IBM’ on both the inside and outside of the case. Lenovo purchased the rights to use the IBM branding for a five year period when they purchased the PC division; at some point over the next couple of years the branding found on my case will have to dissapear. Quite what happens then is to be seen: Will the Thinkpad branding take over, or will the IBM be replaced by ‘Lenovo’? What will be the primary brand? and will they keep the 37 degree angle, or is that owned by IBM?

As soon as you turn the computer on, though, IBM is nowhere to be seen. The boot screen before windows takes over is primarily ‘Thinkpad’, with lenovo and intel logos as secondary items.

It’s the distinctive industrial design that makes the thinkpads instantly recognisable – even without the IBM logo many people, even generally non-technical people, would recognise it as a Thinkpad. I love the super understated thinkpad cases, with the only branding a red dot at the end of the zipper to recall the trackpoint: recognisable from quite a distance to those who know it, unobtrusive to those who don’t. Its also interesting to see the direction of the Lenovo 3000 range of laptops are taking, and the thinking that has gone into the marketing/branding (focus on Lenovo rather than model name; price; target market) as well as into certain design decisions (no trackpoint, cheaper structural case materials, more flashy colours and surface finishes). It will be fascinating how the two brands, with such different outlooks and target markets, will work together, and ultimately perhaps, become one brand with two ranges.

I’m sure Lenovo have a plan of some sort, but it will be interesting to observe what they do once their temporary lease on the IBM brand runs out.

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