The Story Behind the Apple ‘1984’ Ad That Launched the Super Bowl Commercial Craze – Opinion

Apple Computers was born out of a mix between dystopia, the present, and a TV tradition.

We enter weekend mode and everyone is gearing up.The Big Game (exclusive contractual obligations with Budweiser preclude my calling it ‘The Super Bowl’), one of the offshoots is there will be a significant contingent of people watching for the commercials. For viewers, it has been a sideshow to see industry leaders set up shop in the most concentrated broadcast time each year.

Madison Avenue and corporations have made this an important launching point for their brands over the years. They spent a lot of money on advertising, reserving game time, investing in productions and even hiring Hollywood stars to direct the 60 second epics. This was not the case for the Super Bowl. We can track the advertising furor back to one moment in time. It was 1984.

That was the year that Apple Computers caused a sensation with a cinematic minute that was jarring, arresting, transformative, and — most important — successful. To stand out in a market dominated by giants, the company used the timing of a classic literary work to create a spot that was successful. Apple’s “1984” to this day is recognized as an advertising classic, and became the very revolutionary spot that altered the parameters of the Super Bowl.

It almost never did happen.

When Apple Was An Underdog

The commercial’s idea didn’t come from the computer company. The advertising firm Chiat/Day had a germ of an idea; with the year 1984 looming, they wanted to cut a commercial that personified George Orwell’s novel of the same name/year. They didn’t have any clients for their idea. However, unlike monolithic agencies in New York City, Chiat/Day is based in Los Angeles so they are used to auditioning and pitching. 

While the company rejected him, Apple chief Steve Jobs saw his idea for finding a product as an ideal fit. For one, he had a new product that would be unrolled in January of the coming year – the MacIntosh personal computer. His company also had a great fit with IBM as the largest competitor in the computing industry. This market leader was so dominant that there wasn’t any other competition. Jobs saw the company as the evil Big Brother and his alternative system as the rebellious force.

Jobs desired a huge splash. A budget was a must for the new computer. The initial budget of $750,000 was already too high. It grew to $900,000. This makes perfect sense as this is a short production that can rival Hollywood’s. The film was chosen because of its dystopian setting. Ridley Scott had recently released his future-noir sci-fi thriller “Blade Runner,” and was hired to deliver the message of an iconoclastic product. As you can see, his vision was distinct and clear. The storyboards that were created from conception to production are extremely close.

Scott used military bomber fuselages as hallways in London’s large soundstages. This scene was quite oppressive. Scott had actual skinheads portray his concept’s mute marching drones as they made their way into the main set. Actor David Graham, famed for voicing the British marionette shows like “Thunderbirds”, and “Supercar,” took on the role of Big Brother, with actress and former track athlete Anya Major taking on the role of the hammer-wielding resistor. 

The final product was beyond the norms seen in commercials from that era. The finished product was both cinematic in look and form. It told a story in a shorter time than a typical commercial. The result was quite impressive and almost didn’t make it into the public eye.

Be a Master of Your Own Success

Ironically, the advertisement depicting the brave shaking up the rules of authority was presented to the public only by the same type of defiance. Steve Jobs presented the final commercial to his employees during an Apple annual presentation. It was met with a raucous response. The spot was loved by the employees, but not the executives.

All members of the Apple corporate board reacted negatively to the commercial. The entire Apple corporate board hated the Chiat/Day advertising agency. Accordingly to one member, the board decided to not run the advertisement during Super Bowl and told the ad staff to give up their time slots. A full minute had been purchased in the game’s third quarter, and a second slot for an edited, 30-second version was to run late in the game. But the agency’s CEO Jay Chiat took a defiant position. 

Apple was convinced that the 60 second spot would make a big impact, but he lied to them and told them it was too late. The polarizing advertisement made an immediate impact almost immediately after it was aired. The commercial became an instant media hit, generating both adoration and disgust from its audience. National news networks reported the success of the commercial spot. Many stations would run it again in their coverage. This free broadcast of the commercial delivered 5 times more time than the Super Bowl.

This commercial is now considered one of the most memorable of all times. Chiat/Day had run the advertisement in Idaho weeks before, out of self-interest. This was done in order to have the commercial qualify for that year’s advertising awards. “1984” won every award it was nominated for, and it went on later to be declared the best commercial of the decade. It is still viewed as one of television’s greatest classics.

This spot, which was its second greatest achievement (after the Apple Macintosh’s success), launched Super Bowl advertising. Today, it is not uncommon for companies to spend an entire year getting ready for Super Bowl advertising. 

The Super Bowl commercials have become more than a cottage industry themselves – and at the soaring costs for just 30 seconds of exposure, Mansion IndustryThis is an even better term. For a rundown of some of the commercials, you can see tonight during the game, here is a collection of this year’s hopeful for Ad of the Year. 

Here is a peek at a few of the top-flight commercials for the Super Bowl.https://t.co/nekZRbfcHY

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