If you've been on the Internet in the past few weeks, you probably know that today is a big day. Yes, Sept. 9 is the day Apple holds its latest huge and much-hyped product launch event, where it is rumored the company's CEO Tim Cook will unveil the iPhone 6 and the iWatch.
But Apple didn't get to be a company where the world holds its collective breath waiting to catch a glimpse of its newest gadget just on the strength of its products alone. For 30 years, Apple has changed the way a product is advertised, from creating a spectacle around its launch events to its commercials that have become iconic in their own right. In honor of Apple's product launch event today, let's look back at how we got here with a little help from the company's best commercials.
1. 1984 Super Bowl commercial
Not only is this probably Apple's best-known commercial, but it's also one of the most famous commercials of all time. The spot that introduced the world to the Macintosh computer plays off of George Orwell's 1949 dystopian novel "1984" with actor David Graham as a "Big Brother" figure giving a speech about society's collective ideology. The ad's tagline, "And you'll see why 1984 won't be like '1984,'" showed how Apple intended technology to be about freedom. However, with technology playing a major role in breach of privacy cases today, it makes you wonder how different our society really is from that of "1984."
2. "Think Different"
You can't help but feel inspired by Apple's 1997 "Think Different" ad. The commercial shows some of the most brilliant minds throughout history, from Albert Einstein to John Lennon to Mahatma Gandhi, accompanied by a narration from actor Richard Dreyfuss about how you have to be a little bit crazy to change the world. The spot helped revitalize a struggling Apple in the late 1990s, and we all know the company would only go up from there.
3. iMac Colors
With the help of the "Think Different" campaign the year before, Apple had its mojo back, and it was ready to take on the world. The company launched its multi-colored iMac line with a series of commercials that showed off the vitality of the bright hues, such as this one featuring The Rolling Stones' "She's a Rainbow."
4. iPod silhouette
Moving into the new millennium, Apple initiated its next phase of world domination with the iPod. It did so with an equally memorable and much-parodied series of commercials featuring people in black silhouettes against a backdrop that changed color as they danced with their iPods and white earbuds. This one that features Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl" was the first and has remained the best.
5. "Get a Mac"
Apple ran a ton of these ads featuring the older, nerdier-looking comedian John Hodgman as a PC and the younger, cooler actor Justin Long as a Mac. The commercials attempted to show just how much better a Mac is than a PC and divide the world into Mac and PC people. This campaign was so relatable because everyone knows which side they fall on.
6."Hello," iPhone
We all said "Hello" to the iPhone and to the smartphone revolution with this 2007 ad that featured moments from famous movies and TV shows where the characters said, you guessed it, "Hello." The commercial first aired during the Academy Awards, which is always major real estate, and the iPhone's association with Hollywood gave it the added cool factor that would make it attractive to consumers for years to come.
7. Martin Scorsese talks to Siri
Apple integrated Siri into the iPhone 4S in 2011, and the company introduced the software's features to the world with a string of commercials featuring celebrities using the technology. One of the best commericals shows Martin Scorsese planning his hectic day in the back of a New York City taxi cab. Scorsese says at the end of the spot, "I like you Siri. You're going places." And indeed she did.
8. Parenthood
In recent years, Apple has gotten rid of the celebrities and gimmicks in its ads and focused on just showing how the features of its products fit into our everyday lives. This spot for the iPhone 5S, which shows how parents can use all of the phone's capabilities to make sure their children are happy and safe, is especially poignant.
