Apple's “1984” ad celebrates its 39th anniversary

39 years ago, on January 22, 1984, Apple released an advertisement during the Super Bowl, the most watched event in the United States. Having become legendary, the ad allowed Apple to make a name for itself. The brand was until then in the shadow of IBM. Directed by Ridley Scott, who had just signed Alien five years earlier, the advertisement directly references George Orwell's science fiction novel1984.

Two days after the broadcast of this ad Apple presentedthe Macintosh. The product will experience unprecedented success. Advertising has been part of the founding myth of Apple's history. Approved by the two “Steves” of the company Jobs and Wozniak, it remains 39 years after its first broadcast a model of communication studied in all advertising schools.

An advertisement far from being unanimous

Yet when this 60-second trailer was presented to the board of directors a few days before the Super Bowl, everyone outside Apple hated it. Mike Markkula, one of the members of Apple's board of directors at the time, proposed to fire the members of the internal communications agency Chiat/Day who created this spot.

Under pressure from shareholders Jay Chiat will end up selling the 30-second television spot purchased by Apple. However, he will ensure that the 60-second advertisement, in its full version, will be broadcast during the 3rd quarter of the match, having not had time to resell the advertising insert.

By disobeying in this way, Chiat bet his career on the success of such publicity. A winning move, his communications agency continued to work with Apple until 2014. Just as attached to advertising as Chiat, Sève Wozniak had offered to pay $400,000 of his own money in order to keep the advertising insert during the match.

Epic Games plays on history

Many years later, the video game studioEpic Games parodied Apple advertising. Big Brother then takes the form of an apple, a direct attack against the Cupertino company. The video was published a few minutes after Fortnite was removed from the App Store for non-compliance with the platform's conditions.

The two advertisements differ in particular on the ending. In the Epic Games version the heroine emerges triumphantly from the projection room, while the spectators finally react after the screen explodes. This scene is not present in the original version directed by Ridley Scott.