January 22, 1984: Why 1984 Won’t Be Like…Ah, You Know the Rest

If there was one memorable thing about 1984 it was Jim Plunkett hooking up with Cliff Branch on a twelve-yard TD en route to one of the most lopsided wins in Super Bowl history. Just kidding; the real story of the Super Bowl wasn't the game but an advertisement that ran during the fourth quarter. You undoubtedly remember the ad: a lithe athlete throws a hammer through the screen of an Orwellian overlord, thereby granting freedom to the masses.

While the commercial set records for recall and is still considered one of the greatest commercials ever made, what is truly notable is the fact that the commercial almost never made it to air. While Jobs, Sculley and Wozniak loved the ad, Apple's board of directors was less than enthusiastic. In the end, the decision was left to Bill Campbell who, career on the line, gave the go-ahead.

Bill's gamble paid off like a jackpot on a progressive slot machine. Not only did the ad generate instant reaction, but it made it from the realm of advertising into the realm of news, thus ensuring that the ad would be repeated ad nauseum for free. This 1984 ad was the first example of what John Sculley later dubbed "event marketing" and it achieved success yet to be matched.