From the very beginning, Apple always had a flair for marketing. Mike Markkula believed that a fledgling venture needed to act like a successful company to become one, at least in terms of external perception. Steve Jobs insisted on the highest possible production values, even while Apple was still in the garage. For instance, the Apple II was featured in an expensive, two-page spread in the September 1977 issue of Scientific American, despite Apple having less than twenty employees and minimal sales at the time.
Partnership with Chiat-Day
Apple's advertising agency was Chiat-Day, founded by Jay Chiat in 1968. Jay Chiat, compulsively innovative, brash, and irreverent, was much like an older version of Steve Jobs. The two hit it off when introduced in 1981, just before Chiat-Day acquired Regis McKenna's advertising operations. Jay and his talented team, including Creative Director Lee Clow and star copywriter Steve Hayden, crafted Apple's first TV commercials. They recruited talk show host Dick Cavett as a spokesperson and created the campaign that launched the Lisa, including a TV commercial starring an unknown Kevin Costner.
The Birth of the "1984" Campaign
Toward the end of 1982, art director Brent Thomas and Steve Hayden conceived an ad campaign based on the timely tagline "Why 1984 won't be like 1984". Initially proposed for a print ad in the Wall Street Journal promoting the Apple II, the idea was shelved after Apple didn't bite. It resurfaced in the spring of 1983 during meetings with the Mac marketing team for the upcoming January 1984 launch.
Steve Jobs loved the Orwellian tagline and encouraged the Chiat-Day team to pursue it. Steve Hayden and Brent Thomas created a storyboard envisioning a visually striking, symbolic, miniature sci-fi epic. It featured a young female athlete liberating the oppressed masses by smashing a screen displaying Big Brother with her sledgehammer.
Production of the Iconic Ad
Macintosh marketing manager Mike Murray and Steve Jobs adored the idea but needed approval from new CEO John Sculley for the unprecedented production budget of over $750,000. Sculley, though apprehensive, gave the green light. Chiat-Day hired Ridley Scott, a visionary director known for Blade Runner, to direct the one-minute commercial. Filming took place at Shepperton Studios in London, with a cast of almost 200.
Challenges and Triumphs During Filming
Recruiting authentic British skinheads as oppressed workers posed challenges, with some causing trouble during breaks. Anya Major, an accomplished discus thrower, was cast as the heroine for her ability to handle the heavy sledgehammer effortlessly. Meanwhile, Mike Murray found Jay Chiat hiding behind scenery, wary of the skinheads' temper.
While filming, a request came in for an Apple II Basic program to display impressive numbers and graphs on Big Brother's screen. The author spent an afternoon creating it, unsure if it was used.
The Commercial's Reception
A few weeks later, Lee Clow and Steve Hayden presented a rough cut to the Apple team, who were ecstatic. The commercial was suspenseful, enigmatic, and classy, poised to attract attention. It premiered at Apple's 1983 annual sales conference in Honolulu, followed by a clever rap positioning Apple as the industry's last alternative to IBM, receiving a rapturous reception.
Apple booked two expensive Super Bowl XVIII slots for the commercial, costing over a million dollars. However, Apple's board, upon screening, despised it, prompting John Sculley to request Chiat-Day to sell back the slots. Jay Chiat only sold the thirty-second slot, keeping the sixty-second one. Apple ultimately aired the 1984 spot.
Impact and Legacy
The Mac team watched the Super Bowl at a sports bar, curious about audience reaction. Despite a quiet murmur, the commercial's impact was undeniable. It aired again on evening news shows, becoming a news item and gathering over five million dollars in free publicity.
A week after the Macintosh launch, Apple's board gave the team a standing ovation, acknowledging their mistake. For advertising awards, Chiat-Day aired the commercial once at 1 AM in Twin Falls, Idaho. It won nearly every award, including best commercial of the decade. Twenty years later, it remains one of the most memorable television commercials ever made.
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