Steve Jobs is stepping down as CEO of Apple, and the industry is now asking if the company’s brand and marketing will ever be the same. For all its Mac vs. PC, silhouette-y creativity, Jobs has always been what made Apple the name it is today.
The “1984” ad that introduced the Apple Macintosh is now a magnum opus of advertising, a spot many would call the most legendary commercial in history. But when it was first presented to Apple’s board of directors, they hated it. Jobs pressed on, supporting the ad and the creative agency behind it, TBWA/Chiat/Day (to which Apple has remained loyal to this day).
Here’s footage of a very young Jobs back in 1983 enthusiastically screening the ad – to rousing applause – and making sure at the end to give due credit to the now deceased head of the agency, Jay Chiat; the creative director of the spot, Lee Clow; and its copywriter, Steve Hayden.
