Forty-one years ago, Apple launched its first Macintosh, just two days after unveiling it during a commercial break in the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII. While the ad “1984” became a landmark moment in advertising history, it faced skepticism from Apple’s Board of Directors from the outset. Here’s how this iconic advertisement almost went unseen…
On January 22, 1984, Apple successfully became a household name when it aired the hugely influential “1984” advertisement during Super Bowl XVIII. Directed by Sir Ridley Scott, known for classics like Alien and Blade Runner, and crafted by Apple’s advertising agency at the time, Chiat/Day, the 60-second commercial drew inspiration from George Orwell’s novel 1984, depicting a dystopian society dominated by a Big Brother-like entity (implicitly targeting IBM).
The ad opens with the sound of an alarm echoing as numerous bald men in gray attire march towards a large screen in a stark industrial setting. They take their seats, fixated on the foreboding presence of a man speaking on the screen.
In a parallel narrative, a woman in an athletic outfit, donning a white tank top with a Macintosh illustration, is pursued by four officers clad in black riot gear, reminiscent of Orwell’s Thought Police. Armored with a massive sledgehammer, she races towards the entranced men captivated by Big Brother’s speech.
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!
Just moments before capture, she hurls the sledgehammer at the screen displaying Big Brother’s image as he proclaims, “We shall prevail!” The ensuing explosion symbolizes liberation as the watching men awaken, their faces illuminated by newfound clarity.
With 8 seconds remaining in the 60-second spot, a narrator closes with the words, accompanied by scrolling text:
On January 24th, Apple Computer will launch Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like 1984.
The screen fades to black, revealing the iconic rainbow Apple logo.
The Story Behind ‘1984’ and Its Narrow Escape
Upon viewing the ad during an internal meeting with Chiat/Day, Steve Jobs expressed his awe, stating, “Oh s–t. This is incredible,” as recalled by then-Apple CEO John Sculley to Business Insider. Steve Wozniak echoed this sentiment, remarking it was “better than any science fiction trailer.” In stark contrast, the Board of Directors had a very different reaction.
After their first viewing, board member Mike Markkula suggested they seek a new marketing agency, advocating for the dismissal of Chiat/Day. Other board members shared this negative sentiment, with many believing it was the worst advertisement they’d ever seen, leaving no outside board member in favor of it.
After expressing hesitation, Sculley directed Chiat/Day principal Jay Chiat to divest the purchased Super Bowl airtime, but Chiat defied these orders discreetly. They had two slots: a full 60-second ad for the third quarter and a shorter 30-second version for later. Chiat only sold the 30-second spot and told Sculley it was too late to sell the longer segment without a genuine attempt.
Once Jobs informed Wozniak about the ad’s predicament, Woznicak immediately offered to contribute $400,000 personally — half of the ad spot cost. “Well, I’ll cover half if you will,” he said.
This assistance ultimately turned out to be unnecessary. The executive team came to a consensus to proceed with an extensive 100-day Macintosh marketing campaign. Since they had already committed to producing ‘1984’ and were bound by the airtime contract, the Super Bowl ad moved forward to herald the marketing blitz.
By acting against Sculley’s directives, Chiat played a crucial role in the Macintosh’s successful launch, helping to solidify Apple’s legacy. The collaboration with Chiat/Day continued for Apple until 2014.
It’s one of my favorite stories.
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