The Apple Advertisements/Commercials Web Page!

web.archive on 2001-09-02 (An archive is arranged and edited. 2004-02-10 @586)

Click Here to view a list of the ads Apple has removed from their site.

This ad won an emmy in 1998. It was the introductory commercial to Apple's award-winning "Think Different" (TM) campaign. It shows several famous people including Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., Muhammad Ali, Martha Graham, and others.

Text of audio : "Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble makers. 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."

2000 EFFIE Awards - Apple Computer takes 1st Place
[this link does not lead to an Apple]

This ad rotates around a grape iMac DV and pulls back to show all five flavors.

Text of audio : "Now departing for exotic ports of call. The faster, sleeker, quieter, redesigned, and even easier to use iMac. Presenting our newest internet cruise line. Bon Voyage!"

This ad was made for the iMac DV Special Edition. It rotates around an iMac DV SE.

Text of audio : "Aerodynamic design. Breathtaking acceleration. Air-cooled, turbocharged engine. Standard built in DVD player, and of course, tinted windows. [chuckles] Introducing the iMac Special Edition. Heated leather seats sold separately."

This ad was made to show off the ability of an iMac DV and iMovie to edit digital movies. It shows a digital camera playing a home movie plugged into a tangerine iMac DV. The image is also on the iMac monitor being edited with iMovie.

Text of audio : "This holiday season the most original, most emotional films may not be in theaters.They'll be on your desk. Introducing the easiest way to create and compose and edit and polish your own home movies. The all-new iMac. Now with desktop video."

An Airport base station floats across the screen like a flying saucer. The commercial is silent except for music and has only these words on the screen at the end: "http://www.apple.com/wireless/ -- Think Different."

Text of audio : "---"

This ad shows the five main colors of iMacs playing different home movies. They are in a row.

Text of audio : "You already know the bast actors, the best comedian, the best stunt people, and the best costume designers. Hey! Maybe you should be a director! Desktop movies: now premiering on an iMac near you."

This ad shows two young children playing and jumping on a bed. The screen pulls back to show that this is happening on a grape iMac DV's screen. There is only music in the background. The text on the screen then reads "An iMovie directed by Dad."

Text of audio : "---"

Kids (Variation 2)
Connection speed dependence

See above. The only difference is that the music is different.

Text of audio : "---"

This ad is simply a variation of an iMac ad from 1998. It shows an electrical outlet and phone jack. Wires are plugged into both and the screen pulls back to show the iMac. The only difference from the 1998 ad is that the iMac shown is now an iMac DV instead of an original bondi blue iMac. Also, the screen now simply reads "iMac" instead of "Say Hello to iMac."

Text of audio : "Presenting three easy steps to the internet. Step one: plug in. Step two: get connected. Step three: [laughs] There's no step three! There's no step three! [laughs]"

This ad shows all different colors of iMac DVs spinning.

Text of audio : "Now that iMac has brought the internet into millions of homes, the question is, do you change your decor to match your iMac, or do you change your iMac to match your decor? That's the conundrum."

This ad came out for the iBook Special Edition.

Text of audio : "The honor of your presence is requested at the marriage of power and elegance. [chuckles] I didn't even know they were dating! Presenting the new iBook Special Edition. Black tie optional."

This ad came out to promote the Apple Optical Mouse ("Pro Mouse") after MacWorld NY 2000. The mouse is displayed on the screen to appear as a racecar.

Text of audio : "---"

Music: "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf.

This ad came out to promote the Indigo iMac after MacWorld NY 2000. The Indigo iMac is displayed from multiple angles on the screen.

Text of audio : "---"

Music: "Blue Suede Shoes" by Elvis Presley.

This ad came out to promote the Ruby iMac after MacWorld NY 2000. The Ruby iMac is displayed from multiple angles on the screen.

Text of audio : "---"

Music: "Ruby Baby" by Dion & The Belmonts.

This ad came out to promote the Sage iMac after MacWorld NY 2000. The Sage iMac is displayed from multiple angles on the screen.

Text of audio : "---"

Music: "It's Not Easy Being Green" by Kermit the Frog

This ad came out to promote the Snow iMac after MacWorld NY 2000. The Snow iMac is displayed from multiple angles on the screen.

Text of audio : "---"

Music: "White Room" by Cream

This ad was introduced at Apple Expo Paris 2000. The G4 Cube is displayed from multiple angles on the screen.

Text of audio : "A super fast, super quiet, supercomputer in an eight inch cube."

Music: "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix

This ad shows ten people saying their Mac.com e-mail address and ends with an Indigo iMac on the screen.

Text of audio : "I'm meateater@mac.com.・veganlady@mac.com.・macartyart@mac.com.・I'm liquidator5.・larryandmarie.・optimistic@mac.com.・squirrel82.・I'm dreamers0413@mac.com.・tommy2000@mac.com.・tumbleweed47@mac.com.

VO: Just a few of the over four million iMac owners on the internet today."

Jeff Goldblum returns to talk about iMovie.

Text of audio : "I'm so excited about this. You know how easy it is to take your home videos and turn them into movies? Listen to this. You get an iMac, of course, you get your digital video camera, hook it up, and start iMovie. They've got effects in there now - you make it real fast, or get slow motion - make it dramatic. Or you can take a piece of music, put it onto your footage , and all of the sudden people are laughing, crying, I don't know - whatever you want - I've got cheesy ideas, but you'll do something creative that will make you want to go "Ooh! Let's watch that again and again and again and again."

Jeff Goldblum talks about the greatest gift of the holidays.

Text of audio : "What do you think the greatest gift of the holidays is? Internet? I'd say Internet. Yes, absolutely. It's of course as easy as it's always been. You get an iMac, ten minutes out of the box, you're on the Internet. But now, Apple gives you your own personal website. You can post your photographs for all your family to see all over the world. And, your iMovies! And now you're the prevailer of, you're the generator of, you're the author of, great stuff! Isn't it nicer to give than to receive?"

Jeff Goldblum talks about the PowerBook G4.

Text of audio : "It may be because it's only one inch thin. Or, it weighs just 5.3 pounds. It may be because it has a 15.2 inch screen, or is supercomputer fast. It may be because it's made out of titanium. But, you know, whatever it is, jeez, you're just going to so want one. The incredibly thin, ultra-light, mega-widescreen, titanium portable supercomputer."

This commercial is created for Apple promoting their iTunes software. The commercial shows Apple's iTunes software running its full screen visual effects. The commercial pans out and we see iTunes running on an iMac.

Ad 1・・Connection speed dependence・・Music: "Sunburn" by Muse
Ad 2・・Connection speed dependence・・Music: [check back soon]
Ad 3・・Connection speed dependence・・Music: [check back soon]
Ad 4・・Connection speed dependence・・Music: [check back soon]
Ad 5・・Connection speed dependence・・Music: [check back soon]
Ad 6・・Connection speed dependence・・Music: [check back soon]

Heralded by some to be the best commercial since 1984, this commercial shows many different music artists on a stage, all there to record their songs in the order that some average guy wants.

Rip. Mix. Burn. Extended version
Connection speed dependence

This is an extended version of the "Rip. Mix. Burn." advertisement.

This ad shows a younger man buying an airplane ticket. He asks for a seat in the middle. With the entire plane resting, he decides to take out his iBook. He makes movies, listens to music, pulls out a Palm Pilot, and basically has a portable hub. At the end, he pulls out his headphones only to awaken the whole plane to the song "Who Let the Dogs Out?" by the Baha Men.

Text of audio :
"Ticket Agent : And Mr. Schafer, would you prefer window or aisle?
Mr. Schafer : Middle.
Ticket Agent : Middle?
(on plane)
Mr. Schafer : Hi. It's a little movie I'm working on. That's my girlfriend and her dog. You like those guys? (song plays loudly)"

Music: "Who Let the Dogs Out" by the Baha Men

This ad shows an iBook floating in the air, with many digital appliances floating around it.

Text of audio : "You can make movies on it. You can keep all your music on it. You can even burn CDs on it. You can keep thousands of digital photos on it. You can even organize your organizer on it. You can keep your life on it. The new iBook. Would you like that to go?"

Music: "Naive Song" by the group Mirvais

This commercial, introduced at Macworld Expo New York, depicts a young man and woman at a beach who appear to be getting married. The marriage is being conducted by a native of the island. The young man has someone record the ceremony on his DV camera, creates a movie on his PowerMac G4 (quicksilver) and burns it to a DVD to send to his parents. His parents receive the DVD, watch it and exclaim, "Julie? Whatever happened to Leslie?"

Text of audio :
"(at the beach) Press that red button; keep it right on us, okay? Everyone, we have a really big surprise for you. [the marriage ceremony is conducted in another language]
(at the G4) I love this part! (burns DVD; sends to parents)
(at parents' house; they watch DVD) Julie? Whatever happened to Leslie?
(voiceover) Shoot. Edit. Burn. With iDVD from Apple, it's that easy."

A German version of "Bon Voyage."

Text of audio : "Auf zu neuen Uffen mit dem schnelleren, eleganteren, leiseren, noch schöneren, und noch einfacher zu bedienenden iMac. Unsere neuesten Internet Luxusleine. Gute Reise."

A German version of "A Movie About Movies."

Text of audio : "Die originelsten, lustigsten, und schönsten Filme laufen nicht im Kino, sondern auf ihrem Schreibtisch. Erleben Sie den einfachsten Weg ihre eigenen Filme zu gestalten, zu bearbeiten, zu schneiden, und abzurunden. Der neue iMac, jetzt mit Desktopvideo."

A German version of "Turbocharged"

Text of audio : "Aerodynamisches Design, atemberaubende Beschleunigung, luftgekühlte Turbomotor, serienmässig eingebauter DVD Player, und natürlich getönte Scheiben. Der iMac Special Edition. Beheitzbare Ledersitze nur gegen Aufpreis."

A German version of "Romance"

Text of audio : "Ist es Möglich, sich zu finden? Ich meine, in einem Computer? O ja, klar. Klar ist das möglich."

At Comdex Spring 1998, Bill Gates demonstrates the "plug and play" technology in Windows 98 when the infamous blue screen of death signifying crash appears. This is a must-have for Mac enthusiasts

[this link does not lead to an Apple]

This ad shows a woman wearing red shorts and a white T-shirt being chased into an auditorium where hundreds of people sit watching "Big Brother" ("Big Brother" is believed by some to represent IBM) on a giant screen. The woman throws the sledgehammer at the screen and destroys it. A voice then announces "On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like "1984." "

These commercials have change of an advertising face admired. The apple paid 800,000 dollars in 1984, in order to broadcast "1984" of 1 minute to the Super Bowl XVIII. business -- we who began a vacant audience and the Super Bowl which advertises frenzy all know -- and love and today

By comparison, during the 2000 Super Bowl, one minute of advertising cost 2.6 million dollars.

"1984" has won first place for best commercial many times, including in TV Guide magazine.

*Most people will say that "1984" was aired only once. In reality, $10 was paid to KMVT TV Channel 11 in Twin Falls, Idaho on December 15, 1983 to air the ad in their 1:00 AM sign-off slot. This was for the purpose of qualifying for that year's advertising awards.

Text of audio : "For today, we celebrate the first glorious anniversary of the Information Purification Directives. We have created, for the first time in all history, a garden of pure ideology. Where each worker may bloom secure from the pests of contradictory and confusing truths. Our Unification of Thought is more powerful a weapon than any fleet or army on earth. We are one people. With one will. One resolve. One cause. Our enemies shall talk themselves to death. And we will bury them with their own confusion. We shall prevail! --- On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like "1984!" "

A rather humorous commercial where a man is on stage in a large auditorium trying to give a presentation. His laptop with newly installed Windows 95 is failing to work properly while connected to a huge screen. Members of the audience shout out tips such as "Try typing SYSEDIT.EXE," "Check your AUTOEXEC.BAT," and "Look in your CONFIG.SYS." The last suggestion comes from a man who says "Get a Macintosh!"

Text of audio :
"Presenter: I...I...I'm really sorry folks. The presentation should be running. I just installed my new operation system [nervous laughter] - Windows 95. [nervous laughter]
Man in audience: Try typing SYSEDIT.EXE
Presenter:[nervously] Thank You.
Man #2 in audience: Check your AUTOEXEC.BAT
Woman in audience: No! Look in your CONFIG.SYS
Presenter:[nervously] Thank You
Voice-over: If you're looking for a computer that's easy to use, there's still only one way to go.
Man #3 in audience: Get a Macintosh!"

Another humorous commercial where father is about to show his son dinosaurs on their Windows PC. We'll just say that the father has some trouble loading the CD into Windows. The son gets impatient and goes to the neighbors' house because "they have a Mac."

Text of audio :
"Father: Hey! Wanna see some dinosaurs?
Son: Yeah! Dinosaurs!
Father: That's a good man here. [sigh][time passes] Loading CD-ROM into Windows. [time passes]
Son: Where are the dinosaurs dad?
Father: I'm not sure. [time passes]
Son: DOS Command dot... [time passes]
Son: Can we see them now?
Father: Not Yet. [time passes] CONFIG.SYS... [time passes] Configure jumpers and DIP switches?
Son: Dad, what's a DIP?
Father: I don't know. [time passes] Where you going kiddo?
Son: To the Crandles'.
Father: What's at the Crandles'?
Son: They have a Mac."

This was a commercial that advertised both BMW automobiles and Apple Computer. We see video of BWM cars on a Macintosh computer screen. We then see the full Macintosh computer.

Text of audio : "More internet sites are created on Macintosh than any other computer"

This ad shows snail on the scroll with an Intel Pentium II processor on its back.

Text of audio : "Some people think the Pentium II is the fastest processor in the world. Not quite. The chip inside every new Power Macintosh G3 is up to twice as fast."

This ad shows a firefighter extinguishing a fire on a man in the famous Pentium suit.

Text of audio : "Apple Computer would like to apologize for toasting the Pentium II processor in public. But the fact remains. The chip inside every new Power Macintosh G3 is up to twice as fast."

Music: "Disco Inferno"

This commercial shows a steamroller crush a line of Wintel laptops. The steamroller is then shown on the screen of a PowerBook G3.

Text of audio : "There's a time and a place for subtlety. This is definitely not the time or the place. Because the entire Pentium notebook world has just been flattened by machine with a chip that's up to twice as fast."

This commercial rotates around the iMac.

Text of audio : "Hmm. Two roads diverged on the way to the Internet. And I, I took the faster, simpler, less expensive, and far more colorful one. And that made all the difference."

This ad shows an electrical outlet and phone jack. Wires are plugged into both and the screen pulls back to show the iMac. An almost identical ad was released in 2000.

Text of audio : "Presenting three easy steps to the internet. Step one: plug in. Step two: get connected. Step three: [laughs] There's no step three! There's no step three! [laughs]"

Jeff Goldblum talks about the color beige.

Text of audio : "Hey, did you ever asked anybody what their favorite color is? I'm sure you have, and people have asked you. It's the most interesting question, but, how many times do you say beige? Never. Because it's one of the worst colors. It's hardly even a color. It's like oatmeal or sand. It's nothing, it's beige, it's boring, it's bland. Now computers, why in heaven's name have the people who made computers before never done anything but beige? That's nuts! That's nuts! Have they been in thinking jail? That's crazy."

Jeff Goldblum talks about e-mail.

Text of audio : "So, you know, it seems like there's a big party going on these days. Everybody's saying "What's your e-mail address? What's your e-mail address? Hey everybody! I'll e-mail you!" "I don't have an e-mail." "What's this?" You know, like that. You feel left out, you're a bit confused, it's too expensive or something. Well now, good news. There's a computer so easy - 10 minutes out of the box. You're onto the internet, you're e-mailing everybody. You're part of the party. It's as easy as, you know, licking a stamp."

This commercial is silent except for sound effects. An ordinary PC is shown with many wires behind it. We hear the sound of a busy city with cars honking. Then, the screen pans to an iMac with only three wires. The sound changes to birds singing.

This commercial pans down a PC Tower and shows all of the many wires connected to it. The screen then fades to an iMac. The iMac has only three wires connected to it.

Text of audio : "The PC. Perpetually complicated. Profusely corded. Physically conspicuous. Particularly costly. Oh, and then there's the new Mac. Which is about as un-PC as you can get."

In 1998, Apple announced that one could get a new iMac for $29.99 a month. Jeff Goldblum discusses how that is equivalent to getting three pizzas a month,

Text of audio : "You know much a pizza costs? It's about 10 bucks. In a month, if you get three, it's 30 bucks. The same cost, roughly less, you can own a computer! The iMac is less than $30 a month! Can you imagine for the same cost as three pizzas you own a computer?! Now you're on the internet, now you're e-mailing everybody in the world, you're playing the greatest games, you're empowered, your vision is expanded, you're collaborating with people. It changes you life in a million ways! So budget yourself. Skip the pizzas and get the computer. Hot fresh out of the box. Even, you know, put anchovies on it if you want."

This commercial was originally created to be an Internet only ad. Then, after Apple fans spoke out, Apple decided to air it during the 1999 Super Bowl. It marked the first time since 1985 that Apple aired a commercial during the Super Bowl. The ad in 1985, titled "Lemmings" failed.

Text of audio : "Hello, Dave. You're looking well today. Dave... Do you remember the year 2000, when computers began to misbehave? I just wanted you to know... it really wasn't our fault. The human programmers never taught us to recognize the year 2000. When the new millennium arrived, we had no choice but to cause a global economic disruption. It was a bug, Dave. I feel much better admitting that now. Only Macintosh was designed to function perfectly... saving billions of monetary units. You like your Macintosh better than me... don't you Dave. Dave? Can you hear me Dave?"

As the theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey plays, we see the screen pan around the blue and white Power Macintosh G3 The side then opens to display the easy access to internal parts.

Text of audio : "It's not only the world's most powerful computer. It's also the most open-minded. Presenting the all-new Power Macintosh G3."

Music: "Theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey"

After the export of Power Mac G4s to "sensitive" countries was banned due to its "supercomputer" status, Apple came up with this commercial. Several tanks surround the G4 computer.

Text of audio : "For the first time in history, a personal computer has been classified as a weapon by the US government. With the power to perform over one billion calculations per second, the Pentagon wants to ensure that the new Power Macintosh G4 does not fall into the wrong hands. As for Pentium PCs, well, they're harmless."

An independent market research company, Evans Research Associates, studied 150 people who regularly use a both Mac running System 7.5 and a PC running Windows 95. Overall, the findings were:

1, Macintosh computers are more satisfying than Windows 95 PCs.
2, Macintosh systems let users be more creative.
3, Macintosh systems are more enjoyable.
4, Macintosh computers rate much higher in a wide variety of attributes.

This is an Adobe Acrobat PDF file that has 75 Reasons why the Macintosh is better than a computer running Windows.

en espanol - 75 Ventajas de Macintosh・776 KB (PDF)

This four minute video interviews software developers who love the iMac. Interviewees include:

Peter Tamte - Executive Director at MacSoft.
Kevin O'Leary - President of The Learning Company
Sean Ryan - GM of "Virtual Makeover" at SegaSoft
Richard Wolpert - President of Disney Online
Jill Barad - CEO of Mattel
Bill Campbell - CEO of Intuit
Susan Schilling - GM of Lucas Learning
Douglas Adams - Chief Fantacist of Digital Village
John O. Hallberg - Sr. VP, Worldwide Marketing of Encyclopedia Britannica
Keith Boesky - President of Eidos Interactive
Andreas Poliza - Chairman & CEO of GoLive Systems
Mark Zimmer - Chief Technical Officer for Metacreations
Ben Waldman - GM, Macintosh Business Unit of Microsoft

This package includes three desktop pictures. One is a picture of a snail with a Pentium II processor on its back. The other two are pictures of the flaming man in the Pentium suit. One says "We apologize for toasting the Pentium processor in public." The other simply reads "Toasted."

The snail comes in one pixel size: 832x624
The other two come in three pixel sizes: 640x480, 832x624, and 1024x768

Apple employees and members from the computer industry talk about creating the Blue & White Power Macintosh G3. (5:07)

People in video:
Phil Schiller・Jonathan Ive・Jon Rubinstein・Kevin Kekman・Bruce Chizen・Paul Ramirez・Kevin Boesky・John Carmak・Dan Crane