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Katrina Verlinde

Dr. Kate Rosenberg

English 137 Section 11

October 23rd, 2017

Planting Apple’s Seeds: Apple Advertisements Across Time

When it comes to successful companies of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, Apple

Incorporated is the poster child. Apple’s empire spans over four decades, marked by vast

contributions to the realms of technology, business, and popular culture. This rich history is

accompanied by an equally impressive advertising record, featuring stunning graphics and cleverly

convincing rhetoric. Two 60-second video advertisements for all-new Apple products—one from

1984 and one from 2016—illustrate differing tactics used by Apple which ultimately achieve the

same goal: building an irresistible aura of power and influence around the company and its products.

The first advertisement considered here originally aired in 1984, and introduced the world to

Apple’s new Macintosh computer. Based on George Orwell’s acclaimed 1949 novel 1984, the ad

depicts a dark, dystopian world in which humans are stripped of individuality and forced to conform

as subservient drones under a totalitarian regime, quickly instilling a sense of hostility in viewers,

who hold the commonplace that the restriction of individual freedoms is a vice. However, the

audience soon has someone to root for, as a female athlete–clearly meant to represent Apple—

sprints onto the bleak scene, pursued by armed soldiers, and obliterates the propaganda-spewing Big

Brother figure with a guttural cry and a dramatic swing of her sledgehammer. The ad closes with

scrolling text reading “On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see

why 1984 won’t be like ‘1984.’”

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Apple engages many cinematic elements throughout this ad to appeal to the viewer’s

emotions and to hook them in: contrasting dark (blue-gray) and bright (orange and yellow) lighting

distinguishes the enemy from the ‘good guy’ and creates a juxtaposition of right and wrong. A tense

soundtrack with imposing voiceovers propagates a sense of dramatic tension. The viewer recognizes

these as classic action movie tropes, and feels as if they are watching an epic film rather than a

minute-long advertisement for a computer.

Perhaps the most compelling (and gutsy) quality of the 1984 advertisement is its failure to

mention or show any of the features of the product it promotes. The only clue the viewer receives

that this is in fact a computer ad and not a dope movie trailer is the scrolling text at the end, which

doesn’t even clearly designate “Macintosh” as a computer. Rather than simply satiating the viewer’s

growing curiosity by rattling off specifications, Apple engrosses them in an intriguing and inspiring

cinematic short, creating an aura of wonder around the release of the Macintosh, and, thus, the

Apple brand itself. The words “you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like ‘1984’” imply that Macintosh will

not be a computer alone, but a cultural tour de force, and work to convince the reader that, by

purchasing the Macintosh, they will take part in something significant.

As this ad was released in year in which Orwell’s grim and prophetic novel was set (1984),

the parallels to Orwell’s work would have been instantly recognizable and especially relatable to

viewers. In a decade marked by growing concerns that technology would outstrip humans and usher

in such Orwellian ideologies, the ad’s framing of Apple as an athletic heroine fighting against

acquiescence and conformity was intended to reassure viewers that Apple wouldn’t be another

corporate shill—instead, Apple portrays themselves as the only one brave enough to fight against

such bureaucratic oppression. Additionally, the 1984 Olympics were to be held in Los Angeles, so

pride for American athletes such as the one in the video would have been in abundance, making the
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ad’s protagonist particularly heroic in the eyes of the audience. Thus, the 1984 advertisement draws

from popular culture to establish credibility with the viewer, and relates the brand to the cultural and

political environment of the time.

Fast forward to 2016, when Apple is regarded as both a forefront global corporation and a

cultural phenomenon: known for its top-of-the-line tech products, which boast high performance

and classy design. The year marked the release of yet another new Apple product, the 2016

MacBook Pro, and Apple once again released a one-minute promotional reveal for their new

product. While the 1984 ad opted not to show or describe any features of the product it introduced,

the 2016 ad does exactly the opposite. Beginning with the earliest configuration of the MacBook

computer (a clunky-but-classy laptop with an undeniable 1980s vibe), the camera pans fluidly over

six or seven models, progressing through time and technological advancements, and finally reveals

the 2016 model in all its glory. The vintage laptops instill a sense of nostalgia in those who recall the

earlier models, and parade Apple’s rich history of producing top-of-the-line, high-performance

computers while implying that consumers can expect nothing different from the latest iteration.

Each laptop is stylistically shot against a minimalistic, glossy black background, which places the

focus solely on the computers’ sleek designs. The background music features such lyrics as “I can

feel it coming” and “I can be better still,” and employs a heavy bass line to add power and intensity

as the viewer is carried through a smooth and stylish expose of the MacBook’s evolution. The music

is driven-but-hip, and appeals to cool millennials of today (Apple’s primary target). The absence of

voice-over and text in the ad is almost boastful, as Apple clearly implies that words aren’t necessary

to demonstrate that their product—and brand—is stylish, influential, and one which consumers will

flock to. Through this, Apple appeals to their own standing as a well-established giant in tech and

pop culture to reinforce credibility with viewers, who already know the company’s widespread

prevalence. While the 1984 advertisement focuses less on Apple as a brand, the 2016 MacBook
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promotional trailer (correctly) assumes that majority of the audience is already familiar with Apple.

Because Apple has established itself over time as a global front runner in business, tech, and pop

culture, the 2016 ad is able to draw on the company’s 30+ year history in a way that the 1984 ad—

for obvious reasons—could not.

Each of these ads uses a different technique to market a similar product; however, the goal

of each is the same: to establish (and reinforce) Apple as a powerful, culturally predominant brand

by instilling a sense of undeniable awe in the viewer. The 1984 ad establishes this wow-factor by

drawing on a bold and culturally relevant work of literature using impressive cinematic elements.

The 2016 ad boasts sleek minimalism and displays the company’s impressive history by showing, not

telling, the power of their laptops.

Neither of the two ads use text—spoken or displayed—to try to logically convince us, the

viewers, to purchase Apple computers. Rather, they rely on the sense of awe each ad curates to

communicate subliminally to the viewer: we are Apple. This is what we do. Having seen such a

remarkable ad, a viewer is not likely to question the authority of Apple, and will likely want to

purchase the product marketed to become part of the cultural phenomenon which Apple clearly

generates. This is clearly demonstrated in the shared conclusion of the two videos: in each ad, after

sixty seconds of cinematic wonder, the screen fades to black and is stamped with a single apple.

While the color and appearance of the logo have altered slightly over the years, the Apple logo has

retained its iconic status. Viewers don’t need to be told what brand is being advertised; they already

know. The Apple logo acts as a seal of credibility on what viewers undoubtedly regard as a

spectacular advertisement—a brilliant finishing touch which leaves no doubt that, be it 1984 or

2016, if Apple designed the product, it’s bound to be outstanding.

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Works Cited

Apple. “1984.” YouTube. YouTube, 25 June 2010. Web. 3 October 2017.

Apple. “Macbook Pro – Reveal.” YouTube. YouTube, 27 October 2016. Web. 15 October 2017.

DeMers, Jason. “Here's the Simple Secret to Apple's Marketing Success.” Forbes. Forbes, 8 July

2014. Web. 15 October 2017.