As part of its ongoing rebrand, Apple has unveiled a new Apple TV bumper — but blink and you could miss it.
On Monday, Apple released a very short video showcasing the brand new Apple TV logo. The video will serve as the bumper that precedes every Apple TV production.
The shift is part of the Apple TV rebrand. After removing the "plus" from Apple TV+ in October, Apple now oversees three different Apple TVs — the set-top box, the app, and, confusingly enough, Apple TV, its streaming service.
In the description, Apple lists "FINNEAS" as the composer of the minimalist theme. Finneas, for those who aren't familiar, is Billie Eilish's older brother; he has co-written and produced much of his sister's music.
The theme is so short that Apple is allegedly referring to it as a mnemonic. He tells Variety that he was approached by David Taylor, Apple's Head of Music, with the brief assignment.
He points to other "classic mnemonics," such as NBC's chimes or HBO's static. These sounds, called sound marks, often wind up being one of the more "iconic" parts of a brand.
Apple's new sound mark will also provide a practical service. Like the legally-required station identifiers of the '70s through '90s, it helps break up content, signaling the beginning of each episode or movie.
"If you're binge-ing the whole season of 'Ted Lasso' or 'Severance' or 'Disclaimer', you're going to hear the mnemonic 10 times in one day," he tells Variety. "So it's gotta be something that's like the bite of ginger between rolls or something, you know?"
He also highlights that there are three versions of the mnemonic. There's the five-second one, as shown above, which will precede programming on Apple TV.
There's also a short one-second one for trailers. And finally, there's a 12-second version that will be exclusive to movie theaters.
While it lacks the prestige of his ten Grammys and two Oscars, it's a notable addition to Finneas' portfolio. It stands to reason it could become his most listened-to piece yet.
