The Genius Behind Apple’s “Think Different” Slogan: A Tribute to Steve Jobs

Swati Gangawane
2 min readFeb 18, 2023

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

This is the iconic “Think Different” slogan that Apple introduced in 1997 as part of a campaign to promote its new iMac line of computers. But the slogan was much more than just a marketing tagline. It was a reflection of Apple’s ethos and philosophy.

The company, under the leadership of Steve Jobs, had always been about innovation, creativity, and pushing the boundaries of what was possible. The “Think Different” slogan was a call to arms for people to break free from conventional thinking and to embrace a new way of looking at the world.

The origins of the slogan can be traced back to an internal Apple ad campaign in the early 1990s, which featured black-and-white images of iconic figures such as Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., and Mahatma Gandhi, along with the tagline “Think Different.” This campaign was never made public, but it served as the inspiration for the later “Think Different” campaign.

The “Think Different” campaign was a massive success, and the slogan became synonymous with Apple and its products. It was used in numerous advertisements, and even featured in a TV commercial that won an Emmy award.

The legacy of the “Think Different” slogan can still be seen in Apple’s products and branding today. It has become an integral part of the company’s identity, and a reflection of its commitment to innovation and creativity.

In conclusion, the “Think Different” slogan was more than just a catchy marketing tagline. It was a reflection of Apple’s ethos and philosophy, and a call to arms for people to break free from conventional thinking and to embrace a new way of looking at the world. It remains a powerful reminder of the importance of innovation and creativity, and of the impact that can be made by those who are crazy enough to think they can change the world.

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