Launching at the same time as the Gucci Icon Temporary project, Gucci’s iPhone app is refreshingly not just an e-commerce tool.

Offering content that includes bespoke music playlists, fashion shows (video), unique photography, product information, store listings and the ability to mix your own music, this app promotes frequency even when the user isn’t in the market for a handbag or a pair of lofas.

Creating an app that doesn’t just offer another e-commerce channel shows Gucci to be progressive in this area, producing a tool that allows consumers to get under the skin of the Gucci brand, to really identify with it and therefore appreciate why at quite a lean time Gucci should be a purchase consideration.

Apple have just published their results for application downloads for the iPhone since launch and the figure is ….. 1 billion!

Other recent milestones:

Facebook 200 million members.

Twitter has had 1.6 billion tweats.

YouTube now reaches 100 million viewers in the US every month, 40% market share of video watched online.

On December 5th ‘08 Apple noted that they had at that point reached 300 million application downloads for the iPhone or iPod Touch, however as of last week Apple released figures stating that they were now at over 500 million – 200 million downloads in 5 weeks.

There is the very strong possibility that this can be attributed to iPhones and iPod Touches being given as Christmas gifts, however it’s still an impressive figure when you consider it took just over 2 years to reach 300 million downloads.

With 15,000 apps available on the iTunes store, I would hazard a guess that Apple plan to release many more for next year’s festive period.