“It is 1958. IBM passes up the chance to buy a young, fledgling company that has just invented a new technology, called xerography. Two years later, Xerox was born and IBM has been kicking themselves ever since…In 1977, Apple, a young, fledgling company on the West Coast invents the Apple II, the first personal computer as we know it today. IBM dismisses the personal computer as too small to do serious computing and therefore unimportant to their business…1981. Apple II has become the world’s most popular computer, and Apple has grown to a 300-million-dollar corporation, becoming the fastest growing company in American history. With over 50 competitors vying for a share, IBM entered the personal computer market in November of 1981…”
Steve Jobs’s introductory speech at the Boston Computer society in 1984 was a powerful narrative. He deconstructs the world of computing technology into a war between the traditional, conservative-minded engineers and the new generation of rebellious, innovative geeks. He proposes, with reason, that the leader of the “old world,” IBM, wishes to use its market power to crush “fledgling” startups like his. To back up his claim, he presented the ad that will later be considered the best Super Bowl ad of all times.
The ad starts with a gloomy scene inside of a tower: Infinitely deep, with transporting tunnels carrying people from one station to another. The people look dead, robotic, and walk in single file like army soldiers, except absent of any sign of consciousness. In the tunnels, there are security cameras everywhere, signals for total surveillance similar to the situation in the book 1984. In the next scene, an authoritarian figure speaks on a screen, in front of countless rows of viewers, eyes glued to the screen in dead silence, without a trace of emotion. “Today we celebrate the first glorious anniversary of the Information Purification Directives.”
This sci-fi plot is definitely not common for Super Bowl audiences. It is an immediate eye-catcher. Rather than offering a real-world story about how people enjoy a company’s products, like most of other ads, the creators of the 1984 ad had something else in mind. The choice of this unconventional genre allowed them to caricature a real-world situation instead, through the attachment of symbols to characters. Ultimately, the structure resulted in an allegory that assisted its creators and Apple in delivering their message in a subtle fashion. Reasonably, since the audience was exposed to a completely new genre, they would be intrigued to a greater extent than a regular, temporal ad would have. The media reports of the ad after its release is the proof, which will be discussed in detail.
Though presented ambiguously, it is clear that the characters in the ad each represent an entity in real life. The team creating the ad did not explicitly try to convince the audience that IBM is an evil and overwhelming force, but does that through the use of symbolism. Everyone sees and despises Big Brother and his attempt to obtain complete control, and no one wishes to be one of the passive, emotionless creatures–the millions of screws in a toxic engine. The lesson is that a part of the society is corrupted by dominant forces like IBM, and as participants, we should not blindly follow their instructions.
This first part of the ad grabs the audience by appealing to their fears, especially of those who frequently work with computers. It warned that a powerful force exists (IBM) and it is actively trying to take over the market and erase all competitors, which is undesirable. If IBM were to have a monopoly over computer systems, it will introduce the type of uniformity that was warned of in the book. Strict routines will come along, and there will be no place for creativity. By antagonizing this dark force, the ad paves the way for the white knight (hint, hint) to save the day.
The story shines a different light in the next part, when a woman appears. Dressed in vibrant white tops and orange shorts, her blonde, curly hair gleaming amidst the monotony and darkness. She holds a sledgehammer, her face determined and energetic, and runs towards the screen where the speaker preaches the “garden of pure ideology.” She is followed by guards, or the secret police, seeking to silence everything she represents.
Again, the director employed symbolism here, but in this case to convey the greatness of Apple. The woman is an epitome of the new age of feminine independence and self-reliance, similar to how Apple is the epitome of the new age of computers. Apple is portrayed as “a cool, rebellious, and heroic company that was the only thing standing in the way of big evil corporation’s plan for world domination and total mind control.”
Juxtaposition plays a significant part here. The woman is easily identified as a resisting force in the middle of universal conformity. The contrast is expressed excellently: Dull faces against one full of vigor, bland uniforms against a vibrant outfit, and lifelessness against enthusiasm. The conformists’ lack of consciousness, again, brings in a contrast of what people should not be–mere followers of an authoritarian force. The point, of course, is to express the difference between the rest of the world and Apple.
Near the end, the woman swings the sledgehammer, gathering momentum. Then she sends it flying, straight towards the center of the screen. Right when the speaker announces “We shall prevail!” the screen breaks and unleashes a brilliant light that stops the guards on their tracks and awakens the bloodless faces of the viewers.
What’s so effective about this sequence of events is that after instilling fear, it gives hope–Apple is the hope. It rises to the challenge and resists and overcomes any attempt to beat it. Apple is presented as a savior from the boredom and monotony that would result if IBM had no competitors. The woman’s actions in this critical scene passes on the idea that the conformist attitude does not belong at Apple. The destruction of the hypnotizing screen symbolizes Apple as the head of a revolution–a technological revolution. It signifies that Apple will be the leader of innovation that would fight any predatory force.
Lastly, a calming and resolving voice declares: “On January 24th Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like ‘1984.’” The presentation is then concluded with a colorful Apple logo at the center of a black screen, which remains in every Apple commercial to this day.
The ending is short, but incredibly concise and eloquent. The final sentence is iconic: First, the length of that sentence, as well as the repetition of “1984,” results in a catchy slogan that will be remembered for a long time. Second, it isn’t just a statement; it’s an offered expectation–it leaves its viewer thinking, it leaves viewers to connect the dots between the fantasy in the ad and the real world. It excites the audience’s prospects of the future, and tells them that Apple, the fastest growing company in America, is a company that they can rely on.
Besides demonstrating creativity at its finest, the ad boasts superior marketing strategy through the choice and utilization of medium. The Super Bowl is a well-reputed event, and viewed by almost a third of Americans each year (more than 100 million in 1984, according to “Super Bowl television ratings,” Wikipedia). By securing a spot in the Super Bowl, Apple showed its understanding of the power of association. The company indirectly communicates to the audience that it is just as reputable as the event. It can even be as popular as football.
The ad cost $500,000, but proved to be an investment well made. Indeed, the ad agency responsible for its production estimated that Apple made about $45 million of free advertising from TV stations’ coverage and playing of the ad. How did consumers respond? “[They] would go on to purchase $155 million worth of Macintoshes in the three months after the Super Bowl” (Business Insider). All of this goes to support the success of the ad as a result of choice and capitalization of medium.
Apple’s 1984 ad was an effective message that conveyed the excellence of its products and the validity of the company through an intriguing plot and clever advertising techniques. It wished to introduce the Mac, which was intended to be consumed by not just tech professionals, but has applications for both offices and homes. In other words, Apple was attempting to reach a broader range of audiences for this product than for any other products they have created. To do that, they would need a solid reputation, which they have successfully earned with this ad. Within the circumstances of that period, it catapulted Apple over its competitors amidst the dawn of the age of personal computers.