The Impact of the 1984 Superbowl Advert on Apple's Brand

The impact of Apple's 1984 Superbowl commercial can't be overstated. It has been named a watershed event, and named the commercial of a decade. The commercial has been credited with pushing societal perception of computers from scary industry tools to accessible - and fun - devices for home use. The commercial certainly contributed to Apple's bottom line and paved the way for the company's brand and identity as an accessible, empowering, and game-changing technology company.

The Rise of The Home Computer

Apple Computer

Prior to the release of the Mac - heralded by this iconic commercial, computers WERE industry-specific, huge, unwieldy, and required incredibly specialized skill-sets to learn. Apple's intent with the Mac was to create a computer that was both affordable and useful for everyone. Steve Jobs referred to the Mac as the beginning of, "the democratization of technology," which, indeed, it turned out to be.

How did the most memorable of Apple commercials - 1984 - play into this image? By casting existing technology as overpowering, controlling, and malevolent - the talking-head overlord of the commercial - director Ridley Scott tried to capture society's current paradigm with regards to computer technology. Ridley's evil technology personified was in control of the user, not the other way around. The on-screen manifestation of Apple, in stark contrast is an athlete - a woman - lean, powerful, and in control. The technology of the Mac itself? A hammer - the most simple and basic of tools, familiar to all and useful beyond measure. This is the way Apple presented it's product in 1984, and remains a key part of their branding today.

Apple as The Liberator

In the 1984 commercial, the Mac literally destroys the status quo, freeing the inhabitants of Scott's world to live their lives without the yoke of controlling technology. Here, Apple is cast as liberator of the people - the Mac was intended to let people interact with technology on their own terms, to do the work that they need to get done, unlimited by the designs and desires of the technology's makers. Again, this remains a big part of Apple brand and image. Intuitive interfaces, "friendly," product design, and the epiphany that was user-created apps reinforce Apple's "liberator" image, though the advent of their pentalobular screw heads and other tamper-proofing measures do cast the company in a bit more of a Big Brother light than before.

Apple consumers view the company as friendly, supportive, and cool. They expect Apple products to be easier to use, nicer to look at, and better-supported than the alternatives. Apple set these expectations for themselves with the Mac, and cemented this image in the minds of consumers with a groundbreaking television commercial that has become a part of the modern zeitgeist. Surely, the company hired Ridley Scott to make a commercial that would reflect the image and culture that they WANTED to project, but one has to wonder whether the overwhelming and unanticipated success they met with pigeonholed the company to some degree. Would Apple still be marketing themselves as the liberating underdog were it not for 1984? It's hard to tell.

The Impact of the 1984 Superbowl Advert on Apple's Brand