On this day, January 22, 1984, the Apple Macintosh TV commercial aired during Super Bowl XVIII.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_22

• 1984 – The Apple Macintosh, the first consumer computer to popularize the computer mouse and the graphical user interface, is introduced during a Super Bowl XVIII television commercial.

1984 Apple's Macintosh Commercial (HD)

Mac History
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https://www.mac-history.net/2011/07/12/1984-the-famous-super-bowl-spot/

"1984" is an American television commercial which introduced the Apple Macintosh personal computer for the first time. It was conceived by Steve Hayden, Brent Thomas and Lee Clow at Chiat/Day, Venice, produced by New York production company Fairbanks Films, and directed by Ridley Scott. Anya Major performed as the unnamed heroine and David Graham as Big Brother. Its only U.S. daytime televised broadcast was on January 22, 1984 during and as part of the telecast of the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII. Chiat/Day also ran the ad one other time on television, in December 1983 right before the 1:00 am sign-off on KMVT in Twin Falls, Idaho, so that the advertisement could be submitted to award ceremonies for that year.

In addition, starting on January 17, 1984 it was screened prior to previews in movie theaters for a few weeks. It has since been seen on television commercial compilation specials, as well as in "Retro-mercials" on TV Land. The estate of George Orwell and the television rightsholder to the novel 1984 considered the commercial to be a flagrant copyright infringement, and sent a cease-and-desist letter to Apple and Chiat/Day in April 1984. The commercial was never televised as a commercial after that.

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“1984? – The famous Super Bowl Spot

By Christoph
12. July 2011

“1984” is an American television commercial which introduced the Apple Macintosh personal computer for the first time. It was conceived by Steve Hayden, Brent Thomas and Lee Clow at Chiat/Day, Venice, produced by New York production company Fairbanks Films, and directed by Ridley Scott. Anya Major performed as the unnamed heroine and David Graham as Big Brother.

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1984 (advertisement)



Still image from the advertisement

Directed by: Ridley Scott
Written by:
Steve Hayden (copywriter)
Lee Clow (creative director)
Brent Thomas (art director)
Starring:
Anya Major
David Graham
Edward Grover (voiceover)
Cinematography: Adrian Biddle
Edited by: Pamela Power
Production companies: Fairbanks Films, New York
Distributed by: Apple Computer Inc.
Release dates: December 31, 1983 (local broadcast in Idaho); January 22, 1984 (only national broadcast)
Running time: 1 minute
Budget: $370,000 – $900,000

"1984" is an American television commercial that introduced the Apple Macintosh personal computer. It was conceived by Steve Hayden, Brent Thomas and Lee Clow at Chiat/Day, produced by New York production company Fairbanks Films, and directed by Ridley Scott. English athlete Anya Major performed as the unnamed heroine and David Graham as Big Brother. In the US, it first aired in 10 local outlets, including Twin Falls, Idaho, where Chiat/Day ran the ad on December 31, 1983, at the last possible break before midnight on KMVT, so that the advertisement qualified for the 1984 Clio Awards. Its second televised airing, and only US national airing, was on January 22, 1984, during a break in the third quarter of the telecast of Super Bowl XVIII by CBS.

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Sun Jan 22, 2023: On this day, January 22, 1984, the Apple Macintosh TV commercial aired during Super Bowl XVIII.

Fri Jan 24, 2020: On January 22, 1984, Apple made the only nationwide airing of its "1984" TV commercial.

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1. Apple Shares the Secret of Why the 40-Year-Old Mac Still Rules

STEVEN LEVY BUSINESS JAN 19, 2024 10:00 AM

Apple Shares the Secret of Why the 40-Year-Old Mac Still Rules

The pioneering PC revolutionized how people interact with computers. As the Mac enters its fifth decade, Apple says it will continue to evolve.

https://media.wired.com/photos/65a9b51e5a4e84a4a9cad501/master/w_1920,c_limit/Mac-Turns-40-Plaintext-Business-90736055.jpg
Apple Macintosh computer, model M001, c 1984. PHOTOGRAPH: SCIENCE & SOCIETY PICTURE LIBRARY/GETTY IMAGES

On January 24, Apple’s Macintosh computer turns 40. Normally that number is an inexorable milestone of middle age. Indeed, in the last reported sales year, Macintosh sales dipped below $30 billion, more than a 25 percent drop from the previous year’s $40 billion. But unlike an aging person, Macs now are slimmer, faster, and last much longer before having to recharge.

My own relationship with the computer dates back to its beginnings, when I got a prelaunch peek some weeks before its January 1984 launch. I even wrote a book about the Mac—Insanely Great—in which I described it as “the computer that changed everything.” Unlike every other nonfiction subtitle, the hyperbole was justified. The Mac introduced the way all computers would one day work, and the break from controlling a machine with typed commands ushered us into an era that extends to our mobile interactions. It also heralded a focus on design that transformed our devices.

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2. An Epic Moment

In both advertising & culture.
After seeing that ad, I bought one for the lab as soon as I could get one.