Apple's groundbreaking '1984' Super Bowl commercial, a masterful blend of science fiction, dystopian imagery, and powerful storytelling, redefined advertising and cemented the Macintosh computer's place in history.
Apple has a long history of reimagining technological products that redefine the market. And in 1984, their commercial helped redefine advertising - especially when it came to the Super Bowl . The tech giant’s iconic commercial that year, '1984,' aired nationwide only during the big game and is still consistently talked about and ranked as one of the best – if not the best – commercials of all time.
1984 was the year Apple unveiled the Macintosh personal computer, which ushered in the era of the graphical user interface (known as 'GUI') and the mouse.The iconic commercial never showed the actual computer, but ended with a tease: 'On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like ‘1984.’Related: Super Bowl 2025: Commercials you'll see at this year’s big game. The commercial aired like something out of a science fiction film, and had an eerie, unsettling feel to it. Dozens of men in gray monochromatic uniforms marched together and sat transfixed, listening to an unknown leader speaking on a giant screen, while a woman in bright orange shorts and a white tank rushed into the room and hurled a hammer at the screen. The theory is that the commercial pays homage to George Orwell’s dystopian novel, '1984,' and that the blue-gray tones of the imagery symbolize IBM, Apple’s biggest competitor at the time, and cast the company as Big Brother. The commercial was directed by Ridley Scott, who had perfected the commercial’s tone in the feature films 'Alien' and 'Blade Runner' just years prior. The commercial aired during a break in the third quarter of the game on Jan. 22, 1984 – but it was almost scrapped. Multiple reports and historical accounts say Apple’s board members hated the commercial and didn’t want it to air, and instructed their purchased time slot be sold back. We know today that the commercial still aired, though it’s unclear how the decision was reversed. Related: Apple Invites: What to know about new app for creating custom invitesNot only did the commercial help make Apple computers a household name, but it set a new tone for production values. The commercial won several awards, including the Clio that year, which recognizes excellence in advertising. It’s still to this day ranked among the best Super Bowl commercials ever, most recently from FOX Sports.It cemented the Super Bowl as blockbuster viewing for advertisers. Related: Super Bowl 2025: All you need to know Stream Super Bowl LIX live & free! Coming to you live from Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on Sunday, February 9, 2025. Tune in to pregame shows starting at 1 p.m. ET with the big game on at 6 p.m. ET. Stream Live & Free in 4K on Tubi or watch on FOX. (Must be signed in to watch.
Advertising History Pop Culture APPLE SUPER BOWL 1984 MACINTOSH ADVERTISING RIDLEY SCOTT GEORGE ORWELL IBM GUI CLIO AWARDS
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