Top 10 Apple Commercials


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The popular “Get a Mac” ads, are only the most recent example of Apple’s excellence when it comes to their advertising. Since the company’s inception, the advertising for Apple has been exceptional. Watching the most recent, and hilarious, “Get a Mac” ads, I felt compelled to look over the ads from Apple’s past and, as luck would have it, YouTube made that pretty easy.

So, without further ado, Apple Gazette presents, the Top 10 Apple Commercals of all time…

NUMBER TEN – “Power”

What better way to describe the Macintosh computer?

NUMBER NINE – PowerMac G4 Cube

Apple wanted people to stand up and take notice of the PowerMac G4 Cube when it arrived, and this simple, but very effective ad, did just that.

NUMBER EIGHT – “HAL 2000”

In 1999 the entire world was terrified of the Y2K bug…well, the entire WINDOWS World anyway. This simple Superbowl Ad serves as a nice little jab, and a gentle reminder that Macs have been – and always will be – safer, more reliable computers.

NUMBER SEVEN – “Nightmare Before Christmas”

A very funny Apple ad, that finally shows us a way we can make a Windows PC useful. Good stuff.

NUMBER SIX – “Dinosaurs”

This ad does a great job of make a Windows PC seem like the most confusing, unusable piece of crap on the planet…ahem…anyway…

NUMBER FIVE – “SWITCH” Ellen Feiss

The “Switch” campaign is probably my favorite ad campaign that Apple has ever done. When these ads came on, I was still a Windows only guy, and these ads, along with a few others on this list, did a lot to convince me to give Macs a try…and boy am I glad I did.

NUMBER FOUR – 1984

One of the most famous Apple Ads, this Superbowl ad ran only once, but gave viewers a glimpse at Apple’s vision for the upcoming Macintosh computer.

NUMBER THREE – Crowd Control

When Microsoft launched Windows 95, Mac Users (and Apple itself) were upset at some of the more blatant rip-offs that were all over the OS. This great Apple commercial takes a stab at Microsoft’s OS, and is one of my favorite Apple ads ever.

NUMBER TWO – “Self Pity”

I could probably fill at least 5 slots on this list with “Get a Mac” ads, but I decided to only select one, and it happens to be one of the most current ads. John Hodgman is a comedic genius (and a Mac User), and this ad shows him at his best.

NUMBER ONE – “Think Different”

This ad is inspirational all on its own, even without the Apple logo at the end. In 1998, Mac Users were leaving left and right, and the company was going to have to change things to keep the users they had, and continue to survive. This ad was a mission statement from Apple, and one of the first ads I remember from the company that made me take a closer look at what they had to offer. It is a tribute to everyone that appears in it, and it’s statement (and follow-through from Apple) has led the company to produce the greatest computers in the world.


Kokou Adzo

Kokou Adzo is a stalwart in the tech journalism community, has been chronicling the ever-evolving world of Apple products and innovations for over a decade. As a Senior Author at Apple Gazette, Kokou combines a deep passion for technology with an innate ability to translate complex tech jargon into relatable insights for everyday users.

20 Comments

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  1. all great commercials, though I worked in advertising, and it is a pretty common belief that the 1984 ad is one of the best commercials ever made.

    odd that this list has it as number four.

  2. I completely agree with Think Different as the top Apple advert of all time, it had a much bigger impact on Apple that people give it credit for. As you say, it was at a time when Apple was really down, on the brink of collapse and it gave everyone belief in Apple again. If you think of the one phrase you’d associate with Apple, it would be “Think Different”.

    That said, I’d have probably swapped Self Pity with 1984, I think that the super computer one should have got in somewhere (with the PM G4 and the tank)

  3. My fave was one way back when…small group of people in the office put together an amazing proposal and the Boss says ” You did *this* on a computer?” The team, goes, “Uh…yeah.” A delicious pause, and the Boss says “What *kind* of computer?” Fade to Macintosh logo. Goosebumps!

  4. Like Brett, I would think that the 1984 ad should be #1. It’s the ad you think about when you think “Apple ad”
    Think Different can be #2, but its impact was not as big as 1984…

    A.

  5. I liked the Curveball ad. It featured a father and son using a Mac to research how a curveball curved. There was another that featured a windows user late at night calling tech support. The guy on the phone recognizes his voice and they exchange pleasantries about how the kids are dong and such. The implication being that he called so often they became friends.

  6. Txs for the great selection. Apple not only builds great products, they certainly also know how to market them. The power of “Think different”.

  7. True Martin “Think Different” came at the right time and delivered the perfect message at that time. I remember loving it.
    But still… 1984 is a landmark. Not only in the Apple history, but as a commercial among all the commercials ever made. If you think about all those commercials, few come up to the mind like 1984…

    A.

  8. I really like that you didn’t go with conventional wisdom and picked a different #1!

    The Switch campaign was inviting… and while the “stoned” Feiss ad has a cult following, my preference is the “I saved Christmas” one… Janie Porche is more endearing, more concrete on the Mac advantage, and a more delightful spokeswoman! https://www.veoh.com/videoDetails.html?v=e581377hbY4pBb

    Much more effective, more compelling ad!

  9. dude you’re sick in love with mac’s and i shouldn’t even be telling you this cause its putting me on ur level of sick obession, now i need a shower

  10. You know I even watch the “Think Different” – ad like once a monh on my computer – Now that’s marketing, to get consumers to watch commerciels on their own. I study astrophysics so after seeing this ad apple has got a lifetime client 😀

  11. As an amateur advertisement critic, It is nice to see such a nice collection of quality commercials. While many of the mac commercials are exceptional (such as the think different ad) many others still go for the cheap trick of attacking their competitor. Macs should focus on why their computer is better, and not why Windows is worse. They should also keep making ads like think different and ‘1984’.