May 23, 2025

Is OpenAI Building the iPhone of AI?

18 minutes

What happens when the world's best designer teams up with the most powerful AI company? We’re about to find out. OpenAI just announced a partnership with legendary Apple designer Jony Ive, and it could signal a shift as big as the launch of the iPhone. I break down why this matters, what it means for the future of devices, and why Apple should be nervous.

But that’s just one topic from this week’s “Junk Drawer” episode. I’m also diving into two major branding redos - HBO’s backpedal from “Max” and Jaguar’s quiet retreat from a futuristic rebrand that didn’t land. And finally, I unpack two brutally honest CEO letters about AI adoption, employee expectations, and the wave of AI-driven layoffs already underway.

In this episode, I cover:

What OpenAI and Jony Ive are building, and why it could be revolutionary

Why HBO is putting “Max” in reverse and re-embracing its heritage brand

What Jaguar’s branding mess reveals about mismatched audiences and agencies

A look at AI-first and AI-forward companies (and why it matters)

How CEOs at Shopify and Fiverr are preparing for an AI-dominated future

Why “being the AI person” at your company might save your job

A listener's question about freelance client ghosting, and my real-world advice

This episode covers a lot—from branding failures to bold new tech—but all of it speaks to where marketing, business, and creativity are heading.

Links:

Sam & Jony introduce io

HBO Max is Back

Episode 38 - Walmart & Jaguar’s Logo Redesigns: Pointless or Brilliant?

A Letter from Shopify CEO Tobi Lutke

A Letter from Fiverr CEO Micha Kaufman

Do you have a question or just need to vent about your marketing frustrations? Send it to [email protected], and I might just answer it in a future episode.

FRUSTRATED BY YOUR MARKETING? is hosted by Jim DeMicco and presented by SkyeLine Studio.

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By Jim DeMicco