Before getting into the analysis of this 1984 Apple Superbowl TV ad, I just wanted to point out that I had no idea that this was the way Apple introduced their Macintosh computer, and found it such an interesting marketing campaign! I did a quick Wikipedia search to get some more background information about this famous debut. I learned that it was introduced by a $1.5 million Ridley Scott (film director and producer) television commercial. Regis McKenna (marketer) called the ad “more successful than the Mac itself”!
The ad played off of George Orwell’s book, Nineteen Eighty Four, which is about the population in fictional Oceania where the people are controlled by the oppressive Inner Party (who prohibit free thought, sex, and any expression of individuality). The exigence of the ad, or the “circumstance or condition that invites a response”, is the fact that there were a lot of technological advances during this time, and Apple wanted to list their new product. The audience, or “the (intended or unintended) recpients of the ad”, were of course, the Superbowl watchers. Families are usually together during this time, and particularly very engaged in the game at this time (it was aired during the 3rd quarter of the game). The constraints of the ad, or the factors that “constrain decision and actin needed to modify the exigence”, would be the technical constraints like time (commercials can’t be that long), visual constraints like making sure that the content (images) are appropriate for all watchers, and even financial constraints because commercials aired during this time are extremely expensive. The subject is the release of Apple’s new Macintosh computer, and its purpose was to publicize the release and convince watchers of its excellence. Their argument was purporting that the year 1984 will be different because of the release of their new product (obviously a “punny” argument because Apple is referencing to the Nineteen Eighty Four novel and trying to say that their technology will allow freedom within individual expression). The ethos, or “the credibility of the rhetor”, wasn’t so apparent because the ad didn’t use much information to prove themselves. The pathos, or the “appeal to emotion” could be the “breaking” of the screen. This might have connected with the audience’s emotions because it makes them feel like the “routine” is being broken and replaced by something else (perhaps something better). The ad connected to logos, or the “argument from reason”, as it claimed that “On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 wont be like “1984””. The Kairos of the ad, or the timing of the ad (the right or opportune moment) is the timing of when they decided to air/release this information. By airing the commercial during the Superbowl, they maximized their audience viewer count!
I personally wasn’t the biggest fan of this advertisement, but the oddity definitely grabbed my attention– which was probably the whole point!!