It’s what made Apple famous. ‘1984’ wasn’t just about personal computers. It was more personal than that.
It is said to be the greatest ad ever made. And yet it ran only once. It’s the ad that made Apple famous. The ad that made personal computers more personal. The ad that made legends out of the people like Lee Clow and Steve Hayden (the people behind the film). The ad that put Chiat/Day (the advertising agency)on the world map. The ad of the century. The most controversial, most discussed ad in the world. And behind all this fame, glory and unending conversation was one man: who else, but Steve Jobs.
“1984” was perhaps the most audacious advertisement the world has ever seen. It was not an ad, it was the announcement of a new religion. It was both an ideology and a challenge. It was David breaking the head of Goliath with a single sling shot! A reaction to organisational oppression and mind control. It was the death of authority. It was not an ad.
I stumbled upon “1984” in the late eighties. I was still a fledgling writer seeking inspiration and trying to find my Gods and gurus in the business. I was excited by the goings-on in Silicon Valley and was immersed in the counter culture of the time. I was seeking new energy centres and questioning the momentary frivolity of advertising. Then “1984” hit me like a fresh blast of mountain wind. It rearranged my mind, my world, and gave me new purpose. It’s the kind of stuff that happens to you when you hear Pink Floyd for the first time or see Aplocalypse Now. These are life changing experiences because they have the power to turn your head.
“1984” was like that. I finally had something to look up to in the business. The ad was an answer to everything. When a client beat you up, you retreated into “1984”. When you were low or unable to think big, you watched “1984” over and over again. It was disturbing and that was good. You were charged, and wanted to do more. Personally, the ad started a whole chain of discoveries. It introduced me to George Orwell’s brilliance. I followed Animal Farm and his other writings. It got me to understand the power of the individual. I began reading, studying and understanding the nature of creativity and conformity. When the massacre at Tianamen Square happened, I was at a Youth Hostel in Florence, and I remember discussing “1984” with some of the troubled Chinese students who were visiting there. I began to hate authority.
I wondered what inspired the guys at Chiat/Day to create such a great commercial, and what gave Apple have the courage to make it happen and release it on national TV in spite of the Board of Directors saying “No”. There was only one reason. And that was Steve Jobs. I began to follow the TV spot even more. I picked up John Sculley’s impressive book ‘Odyssey’ to understand what was going on inside the company.
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John Sculley, the then CEO of Apple, said about the first time the team at Chiat/Day showed up to present the final “1984” film. "We watched our eyes glued to the video monitor at the end of the room as the commercial began. With a thundering noise in the background, bald emaciated figures marched along in baggy, colourless clothing. You could hear their cadence as they marched through long glass tubes. They trudged into dimly lit, cavernous hall. The scene then showed all of them sitting on hard wooden benches, surrounded by armed guards with Darth Vader helmets and clubs. You could see this was a controlled society where people no longer had their own thoughts. Then it cut to the black and white screen that all of them were impassively watching with a narrator talking in Newspeak.”
Many of you have seen the spot. It’s about this attractive but nameless runner who looks like an Olympic track and field athlete, as she is carrying a large brass-headed hammer and is wearing colourful athletic gear. As she is chased by four police officers wearing black uniforms, protected by riot gear, helmets with visors covering their faces, and armed with large night sticks, she races towards a large screen with the image of a Big Brother-like figure giving a speech. The runner, now close to the screen, hurls the hammer towards it, right at the moment Big Brother announces, “we shall prevail!” In a flurry of light and smoke, the screen is destroyed, shocking the people watching the screen. The commercial concludes with scrolling white text on a black background which reads: On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like “1984”.
John Sculley speaks about the reaction after the first showing, “When it ended, Steve broke a few seconds of dead silence in the room. ‘Wow! He shouted. This is incredible!’ He was beside himself with joy. It had all the arrogance, flamboyance and outrageousness that appealed to him.”
What makes men great? What makes ads great? What inspires great actions? Steve Jobs pushes you to constantly consider these world changing questions. He urges us to find our unique voice, to fight the sameness of living with the beauty of the real you. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma.”
In the end you realise that “1984” wasn’t just about personal computers, it was more personal than that.
(The author is Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India)