Posted on January 22, 2014 Written by Dave Conklin

Click To View Years: 1984 – 1993 | 1994 – 2003 | 2004 – 2014

1994 : Technology Is Almost Human

10 years after Apple became a household name, the Power Mac ad came out.  This campaign tried to show some of the futuristic and technological “coolness” of the Power Macintosh.

1995 : It Runs PC Disks

Many executives weren’t willing to purchase Macintosh Computers because they couldn’t run their software.  Apple tried for years to get this image out of the minds of business people.  Some would argue that the older generation of business folks, even today, don’t think it’s the case.

1996 : Steve Jobs Brings Emotion Back

Steve’s back.  And you can tell.  In 1996 it had been a few years since the company had created an emotional ad.  Steve knew this and brought back his agency.  He then started focussing on what would be the greatest business growth story in history.

1997 : Think Different | IBMs A Snail | Now The Mac

This one’s famous.  Probably even more so than 1984 not being like 1984.  The Macintosh is now a teenager and it’s ready to take on the world.  What would happen starting with this campaign is historic.

You’ll also notice that the Macintosh is now the Mac.  PowerMac, iMac, etc. would be introduced into the mainstream.

In addition to the think different campaign, Apple, in 1997, wanted to be sure that consumers understood the idea that the machine is the absolute leader in terms of speed and abilities.  The company used a snail to portray this so eloquently.

1998 : Simplicity. Just 3 Steps.

Wait… 2 steps.  Apple takes it back to basics and tells consumers through this campaign that they are the product when it comes to simplicity.  This concept stuck with the ipod, iphone, ipad and future computers as well.

1999 : We’re Smarter – Y2K

Remember when the world was going to end and all the lights were going to go out when the year 2000 hit?  Apple users from the 1999 New Years eve timeline don’t, because, well, they had an Apple Product.

In this television commercial, Apple makes it clear that they are smarter and starts to really throw the competition under the bus.

“You like your Macintosh better than me, don’t you, Dave?”

Yes.  Yes I do.

Whoah.  Design.  Power.  Silence. The Cube.

This machine was, again, turning your computer into a design piece.  Apple wanted you to feel that way.  Here also is where pop music started to come into play with advertising, making you feel even more familiar with the brand.

2001 : Music Starts To Take Over

iTunes launches in conjunction with an iMac campaign.  We think Steve Jobs may have sensed that music was going to power the company into the next millenium (literally).  We also note that as itunes and the ipod gained popularity, Apple began to change it’s computer focussed television ads to be more about the culture and ease of being a Mac user rather than the products themselves.

2002 : Will Ferrell – SWITCH!

The switch campaign was launched with all kinds of celebs, including Will Ferrell, who must have had some extra time away from filming “Boat Trip,” with Cuba Gooding Jr.  Will compares a parfait to a Mac in this hilarious commercial.  Apple was using the ipod and itunes experience to then get people to move over to a Mac.

Oh, by the way, it worked.

2003 : Apple’s Got Money Again

What blows us away punn about this ad is how much the budget must have been.  It’s clear that Apple’s passion as a company was to get these high powered machines into the hands of designers, and media creators.  They certainly spent an enormous amount of money doing it in this movie quality ad for the PowerMac G5.

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