1984 Apple’s Macintosh Commercials

30 years ago Apple debuted its famous “1984” TV commercial.

The very first Apple Macintosh TV ad released on 22nd January 1984. The spot, directed by Ridley Scott, ran during Super Bowl XVIII telecast.

Styled after the George Orwell’s dystopian masterpiece, Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mac’s commercial was set in a future where all aspects of individuality had been stamped out by Big Brother-types, constantly vigilant, watching from their television monitors.

The ad opened on a propagandist leader speaking to the bald human drones from a big screen:

“Today we celebrate the first, glorious anniversary of the Information Purification Directives. We have created, for the first time in all history, a garden of pure ideology, where each worker may bloom secure from the pests purveying contradictory thoughts. Our Unification of Thoughts is more powerful a weapon than any fleet or army on Earth! We are one people, with one will, one resolve, one cause. Our enemies shall talk themselves to death. And we will bury them with their own confusion. We shall prevail!”

Then, a female athlete in full color, chased by guards, throws a sledgehammer through the screen.
“On January 24th Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like ‘1984,’” the tagline read.

This commercial characterized Apple’s mission as a battle with IBM for the future of computing. Apple wanted more equity in technology.

According to The Huffington Post, Steve Jobs gave his team one note about what he wanted in the “1984”ad: “I want to stop the world in its tracks.” And he did.

The iconic “1984” commercial aired only once. But it certainly wasn’t Apple’s last Mac advertising campaign.