Champagne iPhone 5s provokes cries of “non”!
Apple unveils a new line of iPhones next week. Rumored among the changes is a gold-hued exterior that the company is purportedly calling “champagne.” Cool, right?
Not if you work at the CIVC, the Champagne trade bureau. Their representatives have taken a dim view of the use of their protected term publicly decrying the term. One told L’Union that as opposed the term Bordeaux, which has a color connotation, champagne is not associated with one hue, so Apple is freeriding on the goodwill of the term (my loose translation). Elsewhere, they have noted it is a protected term in the EU.
What say you: tempest in a tastevin?
Either way, maybe Apple will call the color chardonnay–I hear the grape’s lobby is not as well funded as Champagne. Stay tuned for the details from Apple on September 10.
On September 5th, 2013 at 3:08 pm ,Katherine Jarvis wrote:
If the International Riesling Foundation were smart, they’d jump all over this opportunity!
On September 5th, 2013 at 3:46 pm ,Christine wrote:
Good grief. I suppose they could always go with “sparkling beige.”
On September 5th, 2013 at 3:58 pm ,Lee Newby wrote:
……….. do they really understand the free PR they are giving Apple for a product not even released yet… and how deep their pockets are………..
On September 5th, 2013 at 10:31 pm ,Ward wrote:
I don’t think there’s been a claim yet that Apple is calling this Champagne. My recollection is that when the initial rumors came out, the color was described in the reports as Champagne.
But, as you point out, this is all conjecture, and we’ll find out on Tuesday.
On September 6th, 2013 at 7:58 am ,Alfonso wrote:
looks more like “committee beige”
On September 6th, 2013 at 3:58 pm ,Kim Johannsen wrote:
People are more likely to drink chardonnay than Champagne, but I’ll bet you they’d rather by a Champagne phone than a chardonnay phone, and that’s the power of Champagne’s brand.
On September 12th, 2013 at 7:59 pm ,Bill Bryce wrote:
We find that Automobile makers have Bordeaux Red, Burgundy Red and Champagne colors for a number of years. Havent heard any complaints to the Automotive industry about the misuse of those names. I think it’s just politics and basically one should not mix politics with wine. Actually I feel that CIVC are a bunch of malakas.