Apple’s Macintosh Super Bowl Ad Turns 30 Today

Back before iPhones and iPods, Apple just sold computers. In 1984 they made their name known in the most iconic Super Bowl ad of all time.

Apple wanted to take on IBM who was the leading manufacturer of computers at the time. They spent an at the time unheard of $900,000 on production of an ad called '1984.' It showed a dystopian future similar to what is depicted in George Orwell's '1984' where a woman running with a sledgehammer throws it to destroy a screen showing a big brother like man speaking to a captive audience. Not exactly the fun, humorous commercials you see in Super Bowl ads these days.

It was however the first time that a Super Bowl ad went viral by 1984 methods. It was constantly replayed on local news stations in its entirety. That was free advertising for Apple.

And what did the new Macintosh in 1984 look like? Here's a later ad comparing it to the IBM PC of the day.