One year after being hired by BlackBerry to be its "Global Creative Director," Alicia Keys and BlackBerry have parted ways. The singer, whose latest album cover was prominently featured on the screen of the BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry Q10 in advertisements and promotional pictures of the two devices, was supposed to be a symbol of the "new" BlackBerry. Instead, as BlackBerry crashed and burned during 2013, Keys seemed to distance herself from the company.
The Grammy winner did get involved in one promotion that had fans send her pictures that she used in music videos tied to her tour. But that was the extent of her collaboration with the handset manufacturer. And with Thorsten Heins out as CEO, Keys was seen as a symbol of the old regime. New CEO John Chen has come into BlackBerry vowing to turn the beleaguered company around with a focus on the enterprise and emerging markets. With the focus away from consumers in the U.S. and Europe, Ms. Keys' name is no longer a selling tool for the company.
"BlackBerry and Alicia Keys have completed our year-long collaboration," the company said in an emailed statement. "We have enjoyed the opportunity to work with such an incredibly talented and passionate individual."-BlackBerry
Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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