George Orwell probably didn't know how much we'd talk about him so many years later, but our first inkling came 30 years ago today when Apple debuted its famous"1984" TV commercial.
The spot, directed by Ridley Scott, aired during Super Bowl XVIII. It opened on a Big Brother-type leader speaking to the sheepish gray masses from a massive screen. A female athlete in full color soon runs in, however, shattering Big Brother's image with a throw of a sledgehammer. "On January 24th Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like '1984,'" the tagline read.
As noted by The Huffington Post, Steve Jobs gave his team one note about what he wanted in the commercial: "I want to stop the world in its tracks." And he did.
Though it lives on via YouTube (below), the iconic "1984" spot aired only once. But it was definitely not Apple's last Mac marketing campaign. As we approach the 30th anniversary of Jobs's big Mac reveal, take a look back at some of Apple's Mac commercials.
Test Drive a Macintosh (1984)
Maybe 1984 didn't become "1984" because the populace was armed. Like this office worker who barely blinks behind her Sally Jessy Raphael glasses as she takes out a rifle and blows away her PC.
The Home Office (1987)
"I keep telling you guys the worst place to get any work done is at work," says the guy in this commercial, who only needs his oceanfront views and his Macintosh. But without Seamless, is it really a life?
Testing 4-5-6 (1989)
"Where'd you find all these computer people anyway?" a clueless exec wonders. Sometimes we ask ourselves the same thing.
New Teacher (1989)
Before she was married to the mob or a healthcare worker addicted to pills, Edie Falco was teaching children, at least in this Macintosh commercial.
Hit the Road, Mac (1989)
"I'm sorry, I don't know anything about computers either," a woman seductively says to the older Italian gentleman macking on her and her "portable" Mac in an airport.
I'm a Mac ...
World Students (1990)
This commercial shot round the world shows how the Macintosh is a tool for learning about the places and people in it. It's true. By watching it we finally learned how to pronounce "Tenochtitlan."
OneScanner (1991)
It's a revolution! You can scan a photo in and add it to a document! We were so cute back then.
Power Is (1995)
Power is reaching funding for your Kickstarter campaign even when the whole Internet is against you. Oh, wait, that's not it, according to Spike Lee in earlier days.
Mac Switch (2002)
Grab some munchies, Ellen Feiss is going to tell you about the time a computer lost her paper.
Get a Mac (2006 – 2009)
Hey, it's John Hodgman, the everyman that everybody loves. And that guy who used to be Drew Barrymore's boyfriend. They're asking which one we'd rather be. Hmmm.
Basically (2012)
Basically just buying a Mac can make you feel like a genius. Unless it turns out that you're some sort of idiot.
Mac Pro (2014)
This Mac Pro ad doesn't exactly assure us that the Mac Pro is not a trash can, so we prefer this ad that seeks to ease our fears that it's a Fleshlight (FYI that link is NSFW).
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- Report: Several ARM Macs Expected in 2021
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