Beats parts ways with design firm after Apple acquisition

Posted:
in General Discussion edited September 2014
Ammunition, the design studio responsible for Beats Electronics' iconic hardware styling, announced on Wednesday that it will transition away from the company in the coming months as new owner Apple takes over.


Ammunition founder Robert Brunner. | Source: Ammunition Group


In a post to Ammunition's official blog, the firm's founder and ex-Apple design chief Robert Brunner said he is "thrilled" about Apple's $3 billion purchase of Beats Electronics and Beats Music.

Brunner, who was first introduced to the Beats project while working at his former company Pentagram, was one of the first people with Apple ties to meet with co-founders Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre. The designer has been an integral part of Beats since 2006, styling the company's distinctive headphones and subsequent audio products like the Beats Pill portable speaker.

From Brunner's statement:
Over the next few months, the design for Beats will transition away from Ammunition. It's tough to step down as Chief Designer for a brand I take so much pride in, but it certainly makes it easier knowing we are handing the reigns [sic] over to one of the world's most successful design teams.
In related news, Jibe Audio founder Steven Lamar is suing Beats, as well as Brunner and Pentagram, for breach of contract, breach of good faith and denial of contract. Lamar is also targeting Brunner and Ammunition for over alleged interference with standing contracts.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 45
    thewhitefalconthewhitefalcon Posts: 4,453member
    Ive just takes everything over from this poor guy, doesn't he?
  • Reply 2 of 45
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member

    Looks like Ammunition took the bullet for Beats.

  • Reply 3 of 45
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    Looks like Ammunition took the bullet for Beats.
    Yep.
  • Reply 4 of 45
    buckalecbuckalec Posts: 203member

    A smart man who still maintains a fondness and sincerity towards Apple (from what I read in Kahneys book on Jony).

  • Reply 5 of 45

    "Over the next few months, the design for Beats will transition away from Ammunition."



    Tim Cook is all like, "Wait, wait, I thought we bought ALL the smart people for three bills!!!"

  • Reply 6 of 45
    "Over the next few months, the design for Beats will transition away from Ammunition."

    Why does business language have to be such bullshit? Transition away? Hasta la vista, Ammo.

    And Ammunition's chief designer is 'thrilled' — yet 'it's tough to step down.' It's hard to be honest.
  • Reply 7 of 45
    I think they call that "mixed feelings"
  • Reply 8 of 45
    greffiks wrote: »
    I think they call that "mixed feelings"

    I call it being economical with the truth.
  • Reply 9 of 45
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    Jessica Lessin questioning Beats hardware reporting to Schiller. Says it shows a lack of leadership on product i.e. who owns product at Apple? Good question.
  • Reply 10 of 45
    calicali Posts: 3,494member
    I call it being economical with the truth.

    I call it good business. If he was all sore about it people would think twice before working with him.

    (here comes samscum)
  • Reply 11 of 45
    cali wrote: »
    I call it being economical with the truth.

    I call it good business. If he was all sore about it people would think twice before working with him.

    (here comes samscum)

    Of course. He has to put on a brave face. I just think that using the word 'thrilled' doesn't convey a very honest reaction. Something along the lines of 'sad to say goodbye to my baby but delighted that Apple are the benefactors' would be a bit more truthful to my mind. Yes, he effectively said that, but it's about the tone.

    Edit: I haven't even seen the whole statement, so the context might be quite different. Just going on the AI post here.
  • Reply 12 of 45
    quambquamb Posts: 143member

    These are real people, with real jobs and real passion. So it's never nice to hear about these stories, especially knowing how much that design team would have put into a project like Beats. 

     

    That said, it's great news in the fact that Apple will have their own vision on whatever the future of Beats holds -- not the cheap, easily dated look of Beats current products. 

  • Reply 13 of 45

    I'm surprised to hear that the Beats designer is ex-Apple. The Beats style seems so un-Apple like...

     

    If he was given the task to make something ostentatious, he succeeded. This would seem to be a difficult task, coming from the Apple design aesthetic. Designing for others is often a balancing act, considering one's own tastes and the wishes of the client/end-user.

  • Reply 14 of 45
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Of course. He has to put on a brave face. I just think that using the word 'thrilled' doesn't convey a very honest reaction. Something along the lines of 'sad to say goodbye to my baby but delighted that Apple are the benefactors' would be a bit more truthful to my mind. Yes, he effectively said that, but it's about the tone.

    Edit: I haven't even seen the whole statement, so the context might be quite different. Just going on the AI post here.

    It doesn't see any double talk or lies in the comment. Ammunition is a big part of Beats success and now we know their name. Their efforts over the last 8-9 years which has lead to Apple's largest acquisition by about 8x speaks well for Ammunition and I'm sure they have and will continue to get work because of the success of Beats which they are a part of.
  • Reply 15 of 45
    solipsismx wrote: »
    Of course. He has to put on a brave face. I just think that using the word 'thrilled' doesn't convey a very honest reaction. Something along the lines of 'sad to say goodbye to my baby but delighted that Apple are the benefactors' would be a bit more truthful to my mind. Yes, he effectively said that, but it's about the tone.

    Edit: I haven't even seen the whole statement, so the context might be quite different. Just going on the AI post here.

    It doesn't see any double talk or lies in the comment. Ammunition is a big part of Beats success and now we know their name. Their efforts over the last 8-9 years which has lead to Apple's largest acquisition by about 8x speaks well for Ammunition and I'm sure they have and will continue to get work because of the success of Beats which they are a part of.

    But they're not buying his design talents...
  • Reply 16 of 45
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    But they're not buying his design talents...

    So what? He didn't say he was thrilled for being bought by Apple (which would be a lie) or thrilled for not being bought by Apple (which would sound like sour grapes).

    Aren't you thrilled when your child accomplishes something even though it's not your accomplishment? Unless you're a sociopath you are thrilled because you're part of what led to that accomplishment. He designed products that helped Beats be the leading vendor in premium headphones. He's part of the reason Apple wanted to buy Beats.
  • Reply 17 of 45
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    I'm surprised to hear that the Beats designer is ex-Apple. The Beats style seems so un-Apple like...

    If he was given the task to make something ostentatious, he succeeded. This would seem to be a difficult task, coming from the Apple design aesthetic. Designing for others is often a balancing act, considering one's own tastes and the wishes of the client/end-user.

    These don't look ostentatious to me. I think these look very sharp.

    1000 1000
  • Reply 18 of 45
    solipsismx wrote: »
    But they're not buying his design talents...

    So what? He didn't say he was thrilled for being bought by Apple (which would be a lie) or thrilled for not being bought by Apple (which would sound like sour grapes).

    Aren't you thrilled when your child accomplishes something even though it's not your accomplishment? Unless you're a sociopath you are thrilled because you're part of what led to that accomplishment. He designed products that helped Beats be the leading vendor in premium headphones. He's part of the reason Apple wanted to buy Beats.

    Are you blind? If he's part of the reason, then why aren't they buying his services?
  • Reply 19 of 45
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Are you blind? If he's part of the reason, then why aren't they buying his services?

    For the same reasons that the company your children work for are not going to then also hire you despite you being part of their growth and development that made them a viable candidate for their new employer. Or are you not proud of the accomplishments of others you were an integral part of helping make successful?
  • Reply 20 of 45
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    Now I'm heating this deal even more after Iovine insulted Apple on stage tonight. He basically said Apple makes headphones just to make sure the sound is working on the phones. That's rich coming from someone who makes what many people consider to be overpriced plastic crap. If he and Dre try to interfere in future Apple designs I hope Ive tells them to **** off. #asshole
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