Marketing Apple

How Apple's Marketing Influences

Randy McGill
Business Communications
Formal Business Report

MARKETING APPLE !1
Executive Summary 3
Introduction 3
1984-1990 4
The Power to Be Your Best 4
1991-2000 6
Think Different. 8
2001-2010 9
2010-Present Day 11
Conclusion 12
Bibliography 12

MARKETING APPLE !2
 Executive Summary
Apple is taking the world by storm. From the 1980s with the boom of the desktop to the

explosion of smartphones today, Apple has marketed them in an effective way. Starting from low

quality advertisements to cinematic-style productions. Utilizing celebrities and fancy camerawork

has been used to their marketing team’s advantages. Apple continues to improve the crisp and

clean style with each new product.

Introduction
Apple, founded April 1st, 1976, has flourish from a computer company from a garage, to

a Fortune 500 company running the personal electronics market. However, growth is obtained

through many different ways. To obtain growth, one cannot simply sit idle. For a company to

strive toward growth, they need to advertise and promote product. This being called

“marketing”. Apple has utilized marketing in a way that not only touches the hearts and minds

of others, but their wallets., too This is an invaluable skill for a company to have. Apple has

proved, over the years, that they possess this skill.

With not only commercials under their belts, their reputation of marketing themes have

shifted. From mocking other computer manufacturers to showing the use of their computers, and

break dancing silhouettes to artistic photo shoots with Apple products, the marketing team has

evolved along side the company. All starting in 1984 with the newest addition to the lineup.

MARKETING APPLE !3
 1984-1990
The Power to Be Your Best
In 1984, Steve Jobs unveiled the newest addition to the Apple computer lineup. It was the

cultural icon, the Macintosh. During the third quarter of the Super Bowl in 1984, Apple released

the iconic commercial that was a product of a $15 million dollar campaign. It depicts a scene

from the George Orwell book 1984. In this commercial, Apple makes fun of IBM, the tech giant

of the time, for not being different than other competitors. The commercial paved the way for

the reputation of “artistic” and “meaningful” commercials. While not only forming a solid

starting point, the commercial aided in the sales of 72,000 in 100 days. An impressive amount

considering the time era and the price tag; a hefty $2,500, equivalent to $5,000 in 2019.

1986 brought a new addition to the marketing team at Apple. This year presented a new,

widely successful campaign with the slogan “The Power To Be Your Best”. While the initial

commercial boasted a Macintosh, the commercial

seemed to be more directed toward computers as a

whole. The narrator never mentions the product name

or Apple. By today’s standards, it would be seen as

misguiding. None the less, it paved the road to showing

a more artistic approach to presenting Apple’s product.

In 1987, Apple comes back for the second round of mocking IBM in a commercial. This

campaign entitled “Hard Sell” really lives up to its name. The commercial depicts a younger,

strong-willed employee (IBM), presenting the employer (the computer market) with new ideas for

the company. The employer dismisses the younger employee claiming his ideas are “not a safe

MARKETING APPLE !4
decision”. The screen fades to black and displays the word “Macintosh” and the slogan at the

time.

As 1988 came and went, so did an important moment in Apple’s history. In the past,

Apple was known for mainly producing lengthy magazine ads and artistic commercials. However,

all was changed with a three-minute animation. A short film was made in partnership with Pixar,

all using the Macintosh II. This blast from the past boasted the capability to create colorful,

computer-generated images (CGI). Creating this short film can easily be considered the

grandfather of today’s promotional videos the company posts on their YouTube channel;

bringing together actual art and product capability.

As technology evolved in the 1980’s, 1989 brought a radical change to the lineup. Apple

released the Macintosh Portable, a 16 pound, $6,500 laptop. This commercial depicts a

businessman in an airport with the competition; for once, a brand name is not mentioned. The

man is confused and sees a woman with the Macintosh Portable. He asks her how to use his

laptop. She proceeds to boast on the fact she has a Macintosh Portable and promotes the use of

the same operating system as the desktop

Macintosh. Another strong point of this

commercial is her advanced use of graphs and

her one line, “I’m sorry, I don’t know anything

about computers.” This line demonstrates the

simplicity of the device. Unfortunately, sales

were not as Apple expected.

With the promise of a new decade, Apple saw new opportunities. In 1990, Apple released

the Macintosh LC. At the time, this was Apple’s most affordable computer. Additionally, it had a

MARKETING APPLE !5
color monitor. With that included, Apple felt as though the campaign should be focused around

these two components. Which for 1990, were two strong selling points. The commercial for this

computer was simple, it showed off the computer and its color screen for around 15 seconds.

This model set the tone for the next decade of Apple computers. The Macintosh LC was the

start of a line of new computers running for 7 years.

1991-2000
As 1991 came around, Apple released the Macintosh Classic II. This was designed in the

same way the original Macintosh was in 1984. However, it had a color screen and updated

internal specifications. This was another “inexpensive” computer for Apple at the time. The

commercial mentions this in the new concept for advertising. A man on a motorcycle speeds

through a wide desert expanse and swiftly picks up the Macintosh Classic II and goes off with no

issue. The narrator proceeds to say in a casual tone, “Pick one up on your way to work”. This tag

line adds a call to action. In this call to action, Apple effectively mentions in a casual way that it is

easier and simpler to get the newest addition to the Macintosh lineup.

While Apple heavily focused on desktops, the early 1990s brought major improvements to

the laptop sector. Where the Macintosh Portable failed, the PowerBook took major strides. File

sharing was relatively uncommon. When it was needed to be done, AirDrop wasn’t around to

save the day, it was floppy disks. Apple created a way that could transfer documents and files to

other PowerBooks through a cable tethering system. The commercial shows this taking place.

While it was revolutionary, Apple took it a step further. Apple presented this process happening in

MARKETING APPLE !6
an airplane 30,000 feet in the air. This was a smash hit, with a $1 million marketing budget,

Apple reaped $1 billion in revenue.

Apple was starting to wake up to the idea of handheld

technology in 1993 with the release of the Newton

MessagePad. Commonly referred to as the grandfather of the

iPad, by Apple enthusiasts, was quite frankly released way

before its time. It boasted handwriting recognition, wireless file

share, expansion slots and simplicity. In the early beginnings to

Apple tradition, some soft snappy music played, the main

features were shown in action and a diverse cast of consumers filled the screen. The return on

this product was lower than anticipated.

Apple continued to create new products to step

out of their comfort zones in 1994 with the release of

the QuickTake camera, a digital camera from the early

1990s. The commercial shows the QuickTake camera to

be more an “accessory” than a separate device on its

own. It was an aid in the creation of reports with

colorful photos. All with the Apple styled upbeat, snappy music. Only three models were

released. Sales were not high, this could be due to the lack of specific, targeted marketing with

this product.

With 1995 rolling around quick, Apple geared their commercials in a different way. Apple

commissioned some famous faces for a part in the "Power Is" campaign. These commercials

featured various familiar faces: Hunter S. Thompson, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, Marlee Matlin,

MARKETING APPLE !7
George Clinton, and Dave Stewart. George Clinton's commercial took off in a way that was

unpredicted. The commercials had one of these faces explain how the Macintosh helped with his

career.

Mission Impossible played a huge role in 1996's advertisement with the utilization of

product placement. Apple used the clip from this film to market the PowerBook. The commercial

utilized parts of the movies that seemed high action and had some clips of the PowerBook

intertwined in it. The narrator makes a humorous remark at the end, “Now that you’ve seen the

movie, pick up the book”. The commercial went over fairly well as it helped promote Mission

Impossible and the PowerBook.

Think Different.

Apple's rivalry with IBM was still

going strong in 1997. IBM had released a

new campaign entitled "Think". Apple

still being the major rival to IBM

challenged their "Think" campaign with

"Think Different". In the initial

commercial of this campaign, Apple

featured various independent thinkers known for making strides in their fields of business. Not

only did this receive rave reviews, it can be considered one of the most influential advertising

campaigns of all times. This rebranded Apple as a free thinking brand.

1998 was Apple's proof of free thinking and uniqueness. Apple released the ever so iconic

iMac. This was considered a commercial success as the design was never before seen in any other

MARKETING APPLE !8
computer, especially rival IBM. The commercial featured the new iMac in the Bonai Blue color.

A huge feature of this computer was the simple design. There was one power cord, one internet-

access cord (if desired), one cord to the keyboard and one mouse cord. Meanwhile, the

commercial also showed the back of a PC with its extensive amount of cords and peripherals.

This commercial set the framework for the future of more simplistic commercials.

As the 1990s came to an end, the world was in panic with the Y2K Virus. In 1999, Apple

used this fear to their advantage. In a commercial that did not display any Apple product, it

displayed HAL, a character from Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey.” In fact, HAL

spoke the whole time. The duration of the commercial was more of a dystopian monologue.

Toward the end, Apple made sure that HAL mentioned that Apple computers were not

susceptible to the V2K Virus, saving “billions of monetary units”.

With the dawn of the new century, Apple released what they viewed to be

“revolutionary” design wise. The PowerPC G3 Cube. It was hideous. With a price tag of $1,799,

many did not find this desktop computer necessary. This commercial, however, can be found as a

huge stepping stone to the current format of some commercials. The 50 second clip consisted of

close up camera shots with music. Lacking a narrator, this commercial had potential.

2001-2010
As the 2000s got started, Apple released a real contender in the personal electronics

market, the iPod. With the release of this magical device the size fo a deck of cards, a whirlwind

began. The first commercial featured a man, downloading 1,000 songs from his computer to his

iPod, then dancing to the music while it is playing on his iPod. At the end, a narrator with a

MARKETING APPLE !9
young, hip voice says, “iPod, a thousand songs in your pocket”. The iPod skyrocketed in sales.

Apple did not expect this little box to spark a cultural icon.

In 2002, Apple picked up where they left off in the 1992 commercial with PowerBooks in

airplanes. This time, showcasing the screen sizes and versatility of the PowerBook. This

commercial featured an unlikely duo, 7ft 5 basketball player Yao Ming and 2ft 8 actor Verne

Troyer. Irony strikes with the fact that Ming had the 12 inch model and Troyer had the 17 inch

model. The commercial was received well.

2003 was a big year for the iPod, Apple was on the third

iteration of the device when they released easily the most iconic

and memorable campaign for anyone under the age of 25 would

remember forever: the dancing silhouettes. These commercials

took off in a way that was chart breaking. The iPod campaign

was Apple’s main focus up until 2006, when Apple started a new campaign, with a total of 66

ads.

2006 was the year of the start of the “Get a Mac” campaign. By the end of 2006, there

were 19 ads. In these ads, the backdrop was a simple white screen. There were two actors, one

representing Macs and the other representing PCs. In each ad, topics would be talked about

ranging from overall capabilities to just design cues. After the first few commercials were released,

sales for Macs boosted by 12%. At the end of 2006, Apple sold near 1.6 million Macs, a 39%

overall increase.

The world changed in 2007 with the release of the

iPhone. The first commercial built excitement and

helped spread the word of the first mainstream

MARKETING APPLE !10

smartphone that was actually smart. The 30 second spot featured 30 different people answering

phones over the years all saying “Hello”. Finally, the iPhone rings and the owner slides to answer

the phone to say “Hello”. This commercial proved major success.

2010-Present Day
In 2010, Apple released the iPad. To add to the excitement, Apple released an

advertisement to showcase the simplicity of an iPad. The commercial served as a form of

manual. It showed how to use the iPad, before anyone bought it. It proved to be successful. Sales

of this device hit a little over 7 million devices by the end of 2010. Truly remarkable.

As the 2010s continued, commercials and soon, digital promotional media followed the

same format, simplicity and functionality. Apple has sifted through many different products

releasing them and discontinuing them. Apple however, has made promotional media for the

newer products on their YouTube channel. For the few most recent years, Apple has also posted

their keynotes, or major presentations of products. Here is where newer promotional media is

unveiled.

In 2018, Apple redesigned the iPad Pro lineup. With this, Apple created a commercial

highlighting the new functions with a twist. They for

the first time ever, showed an older device in a

commercial for more than a few seconds. This

commercial demonstrates the changes made from the

last model to the current model. It is a whimsical and

magical approach to marketing for Apple.

MARKETING APPLE !11

 Conclusion
As Apple has proved success, the formula for starting a successful campaign is all present

within most of these campaigns. Apple is a lighthouse shining in the bay of marketing. There is

very evident progress in the campaigns. The campaigns all have a few things in common. This

being simplicity. Apple is known as the company with simplistic designs and this is conveyed well

across the campaigns.

Bibliography
Apple. “IPad Pro - Change - Apple.” YouTube, YouTube, 30 Oct. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?
v=LjaKHqDbzSA.

Bowyer, Neil. “Mission Impossible Apple Powerbook Promo (1996).” YouTube, YouTube, 18 Sept.
2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CiR-BoZbNY.

Business Insider. “The Best Apple Ad from Each Year since Its 1984 Super Bowl Hit.” Business
Insider, Business Insider, 25 Feb. 2017, www.businessinsider.com/apple-history-through-
advertising-40-years-anniversary-2017-2#2016-40-years-in-40-seconds-33.

CatchTheTaste. “2003 Commercial: Original IPod.” YouTube, YouTube, 31 Oct. 2014,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjFgMyDtKSU.

Faison, Ian. “40 Lessons from 40 Years of Apple Ads.” Medium, The Mission, 8 Nov. 2017,
medium.com/the-mission/40-lessons-from-40-years-of-apple-ads-7a653e2738ab.

Honan, Mat. “Remembering the Apple Newton's Prophetic Failure and Lasting Impact.” Wired,
Conde Nast, 5 Aug. 2013, www.wired.com/2013/08/remembering-the-apple-newtons-
prophetic-failure-and-lasting-ideals/.

King, Betamax. “Apple Newton PDA Commercial 1993.” YouTube, YouTube, 3 May 2015,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2Yliy_WUBQ.

macheadz. “Apple G4 Cube Commercial.” YouTube, YouTube, 14 Mar. 2009, www.youtube.com/

watch?v=0hLKEWfh6do.

macheadz. “Apple G4 Cube Commercial.” YouTube, YouTube, 14 Mar. 2009, www.youtube.com/

watch?v=0hLKEWfh6do.

MacRonald5. “Apple Commercial - The Power to Be Your Best.” YouTube, YouTube, 23 Mar.
2008, www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5S9VvMMxhU.

MARKETING APPLE !12

Nations, Daniel. “Did You Know This Many IPads Had Been Sold?” Lifewire, Lifewire, 6 Nov.
2018, www.lifewire.com/how-many-ipads-sold-1994296.

Neto, António. “Apple ‘Hello’ IPhone Commercial.” YouTube, YouTube, 26 Feb. 2007,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmiWTKZzBLY.

shadowlock. “Apple Macintosh Commercial - Before and After.” YouTube, YouTube, 22 Mar.
2008, www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ6hewajTZw.

Sivvr. “Apple Macintosh Ad Hard Sell 1987.” YouTube, YouTube, 10 Sept. 2014,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=icybPYCne4s.

Sivvr. “Apple Macintosh Portable Ad Hit The Road, Mac Long Version 1989.” YouTube,
YouTube, 11 Sept. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1bMBc270Hg.

Sivvr. “Rare Apple Macintosh Ad Power Is Hunter S Thompson 1995.” YouTube, YouTube, 10
Sept. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPm33OJMN7Q.

theiphoneblog. “Apple's First IPad Commercial.” YouTube, YouTube, 7 Mar. 2010,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HMrf_uxwi4.

VectronicsAppleWorld. “Apple IMac Commercial - ‘Un-PC.’” YouTube, YouTube, 29 Dec. 2007,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXRhsPNyssY.

VectronicsAppleWorld. “Early Apple PowerBook Commercial - ‘John and Greg.’” YouTube,

YouTube, 30 Dec. 2007, www.youtube.com/watch?v=usxTm0uH9vI.

xaviertic. “First IPod Commercial 2001.” YouTube, YouTube, 16 Oct. 2009, www.youtube.com/
watch?v=mE_bDNaYAr8.

MARKETING APPLE !13