In this special online edition of Creative Choice, The Campaign Palace national chief creative officer Reed Collins and McCann Sydney executive creative director Michael Raso take a look at five of the most famous Apple ads of all time.
"Think Different"
COLLINS: I remember seeing this for the first time while working in the USA and thought wow! Sure there were nay-sayers with jibes like "that's not correct grammar!" – whatever. It was a pleasure to hear a brand not really talking about themselves, but rather embracing a philosophy. And Richard Dreyfuss wasn't a poor choice now was he.
RASO: "Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square hole". These words are permanently cemented in my mind. Such a powerful and emotional piece of advertising delivered beautifully by Richard Dreyfuss. Watching this again today Steve Jobs has earned his place amongst the other greats featured in the spot.
"Mac vs PC"
COLLINS: Such a simple idea personifying competing products. It made me feel cool that I owned a mac and made a shed-load of PC users want to switch. Spare a thought for the actors though – all you think about when they appear in films is "hey, that's the dude from those apple ads". Job done.
RASO: Mac vs PC, I think the winner was pretty clear. At a time when Microsoft was all about 2.0's, Windows, Vista and other unmemorable things. Mac humanised the role of the computer making it relatable to all of us. Witty and simply executed this campaign of 66 ads illustrated Macs functionality and practicality in a tone of voice that embodied the brand.
"iPod"
COLLINS: Again a very simple idea executed even more simply. I don't normally like purely executional commercials but this was just so different to what else was on TV at the time. Mash up some old Olympic poster designs with tight choreography and throw in a sweet track. Oh, and a revolutionary music device. Boom.
RASO: I think the very first time I heard a Jet song was while watching an iPod spot in the US. The campaign launched one of the most loved products in the 21st century and few bands along the way. This campaign simply demonstrated the product in a way that felt fresh, had energy, looked cool and expressed the emotion and joy of having one.
"3 Steps"
COLLINS: Not a great spot, but a great product. Guess that's why they keep doing it, even today. Every client forever after has asked for 30 seconds of product porn thanks to this. Grrr.
RASO: Simple, think I've used this twenty times since I started writing this tonight. Unfortunately this time the guys may have been a little too simple. In contrast to the other picks we have here, this one doesn't carry the same weight. Being compared against 1984 and Think Different is tough.
"1984"
COLLINS: The mack daddy. The big kahuna. This one is legendary. And so are the stories about getting it made. Only to run once and to be still talked about is truly an amazing feat. But isn't it ironic how Apple have become what they once fought against.
RASO: This is probably one of the most talked about and respected pieces of advertising ever. The spot ran only once, during the Super Bowl and laid the foundations of Chiat/Day. Directed by Ridley Scott this spot was truly a breakthrough for advertising positioning Apple as a symbol of empowerment against the setting of George Orwell's famous novel.
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