From U2 to renowned Tweeter to Stephen Fry, Steve Jobs never found it hard to win celebrity endorsement of his brand

High-profile early adopters of the company's groundbreaking products have long helped to push their gadgets to the forefront. And music stars were quick to see how the iPod could boost their sales and transform the music industry forever.

U2 became inextricably linked to the brand in 2004 when their single Vertigo featured in an iPod TV advert. The ad, featuring silhouettes of the band playing, raised the profile of the MP3 player and is widely credited with boosting the band's album How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.

The relationship continued with the launch of a U2 signature iPod and a "digital box set" of the band's work.

Other acts whose work has been included in the company's campaigns are Coldplay, whose singer Chris Martin coincidentally named his daughter Apple, as well as Bob Dylan and Black Eyed Peas.

Even Sir Paul McCartney teamed up with the firm with his song Dance Tonight, long before a deal was finally struck to allow digital sales of the Beatles back catalogue.

In the early days of the iTunes store, Apple's download sales site, the power of celebrity was a key part of showing how stars were fans of their gizmos. Celebrity playlists were often included on the homepage and in the wider world, What's On Your iPod? columns became staples of magazines and websites.

Stars are often seen with Apple technology at hand, with Brad Pitt recently pictured carrying his MacBook laptop. Figures such as Ronan Keating and Jenson Button have attended product launches. Last year even Katie Price launched her own range of boutique iPods, bejewelled and etched with swirls and hearts.

Stephen Fry has long been a fan of the company's products and has written at length about their design, regularly tweeting his views about new ranges and is a keen advocate of the iPad.