Apple continues its fruit-themed branding efforts by officially filing multiple trademark applications for “PINE APPLE” as noted in the Tianyancha app. It covers categories such as trademark applications, scientific instruments, advertising sales and building renovations, which are currently in the “implementation” stage. Interestingly, the term “PINE” in Chinese refers to both “菠萝” and “凤梨”, both of which refer to tropical fruits.

Apple’s historical ties to fruit-themed branding

Apple’s persistent dominance of fruit-related trademarks is evident from its past performance over the years. According to a surprising statistic, Apple has filed 215 trademark appeals in recent years. This number surpasses the total number of 136 cases of tech giants Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Meta (formerly Facebook). While 17% of brand objections initiated by Apple were withdrawn by the other parties, the majority did not receive any response to Apple’s lawsuit.

The tech company’s fruit-inspired branding efforts have not been without controversy. One memorable case involved Apple’s confrontation with American artist Frankie Panaps over the English suffix “apple” to his stage name. The incident underscores that Apple is wary of anything that remotely violates its brand name.

Apple’s iconic bitten logo seems inadequate for Apple’s aspirations. In 2017, the company rebranded the fruit in Switzerland, aiming for a broader representation of the Granny Smith apple, not just the bite-sized logo. Fruit Union Suisse, a century-old Swiss fruit company, was faced with the possibility of changing its logo. The director of the company expressed his concerns, emphasizing the universal nature of the apple symbol and the inalienable right of everyone to use it.

Apple’s PINE APPLE brand is the final chapter in the love story of fruit-based branding. However, it is not yet clear how this latest search brand will turn out, as previous attempts have sparked controversy.