The Aston Martin Zygote – a branded wireless speaker for the more discerning petrol head
This month, in conjunction with the seemingly brand-new Norwegian audio brand AudioModa, Aston Martin has released the Zygote – a home speaker packed with the latest wireless technology, and looking a bit like an oversized pebble*
We’re all aware of the branding power a prestige car marque has and the depths to which a marketing department will delve to rake every last penny of it’s worth.
Most of us are able to recognise the prancing horse, the three-pointed star of Mercedes, the double-R of Rolls Royce – all of which from actual cars, or from the landfill sized mountains of horrible branded tat, usually adorning F1 fans or stuffy old car club types.
While not in the same price bracket as a brand new Vanquish, we assume the Zygote will be a premium price product
No stranger to branding exercises, Aston Martin has the slightly less cringeworthy ‘Lifestyle Collection‘ which, in fairness, does appear to be of a slightly higher ilk than the standard mass produced nonsense from other automotive manufacturers.
The Zygote probably sounds very good (the stats look decent), and it is aesthetically original at least, with some nice curves evoking the car’s haunches, but is it much better than wearing a BMW M-Power fleece and matching baseball cap?
There’s a striking difference between this and much of the other motoring-tinged products out there. The Zygote will no doubt be costly, will not be mass produced in the same way as other products and has had to fit in with Aston Martin’s collection of ‘luxury’ branded objects.
Clearly, buying a set of Aston Martin branded golf clubs, its leather recliner or its champagne bucket takes a special type of consumer, and a special sort of brief for the designer.
Which leads us to this: Have you ever designed a branded product, and what are the best/worst automotive-branded products you’ve seen?
Leave your comments below the line (anonymity is guaranteed – unless you write your proper name, then it’s your fault).
*I’m not sure the exact size at which a ‘pebble’ becomes a ‘rock’
