There is bound to be disagreement over the best Super Bowl commercial ever. That being said, we’d toss our vote to the 1984 Apple Macintosh commercial. Haven’t seen it? Take a look:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zfqw8nhUwA
What did you think? Does it live up to your Super-Bowl-commercial-watching standards?
Super Bowl commercials are the end all be all of television adverts. Companies pour millions of dollars into these. Specifically for this single, annual event. For a 30-second spot in 2019’s Super Bowl LIII, you’re looking at a price tag of over five million dollars. That is an amazing amount of money for any marketing budget, but it hasn’t always been like this. The playing field (yes, pun intended) changed when Apple aired its Macintosh commercial on January 22, 1984, during Super Bowl XVIII.
On that day, Apple released not just a commercial, but a work of art. The commercial (directed by Ridley Scott) was a dystopian view reminiscent of George Orwell’s book 1984. You saw the bleak, gray vision with rows of people being spoken to by a “big brother” talking head on a massive screen. The only color and non-conformity is represented by an athletic blonde woman running towards the viewer. While being chased by stormtroopers, she ultimately shatters the monotony by throwing a mallet at the massive screen. The screen goes black, and a voice reads: “On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like ‘1984’”.
With about $3.5 million worth of Macintoshes sold just after it ran, the commercial instantly became a legend and raised the bar for Super Bowl commercials.
No longer were commercials seen as just advertisements. They became entire stories in a matter of seconds. An art form. Companies and brands were given carte blanche to advertise in new ways that spoke directly to human emotion and instinct in ways only the subconscious mind truly understands.
Super Bowl commercials are just as important today as were in 1984. Perhaps, even more so. In recent years, many commercials have been released online before the game. Super Bowl commercials have taken on a life of their own and are looked forward to by millions as some of the most artistic, entertaining, and creative expressions advertisers have to offer.
In today’s day and age, with our recording and fast-forwarding of TV shows, or our willingness to pay for services that allow us to skip commercials entirely, it’s pretty wild that, on one specific day, more than 50% of viewers specifically tune in FOR the commercials. In fact, many people wish advertisers would NOT pre-release their commercials just so they can be surprised by them during the game!
I don’t know about you, but I’ve avoided social media like I missed a Game of Thrones finale. I’m taking all precautions to avoid spoilers. Now? I’m off to bury my head in a bucket of sand until kickoff. Go, team!
