Tuesday, February 02, 2010

Truly Trivial: When did the famous 1984 Macintosh TV commercial first air -- before the Super Bowl?

I actually had a few fresh Truly Trivial columns squared up for possible publication this week, but the confluence of the iPad and the Super Bowl required that I excavate this gem from my old Geek Trivia days. Yes, the Apple fanboys should alternately pleased and perturbed:

[T]he definitive computer commercial for all time is, has been, and probably always will be the Apple Macintosh 1984 Super Bowl spot. Directed by a fresh-from-Blade Runner Ridley Scott and boldly implying that IBM was the evil corporate equivalent of Big Brother from George Orwell’s novel 1984  ... the commercial grabbed the attention of millions, became an artifact of pop culture and a standard-bearer for event marketing and Super Bowl commercial creativity, and launched the Macintosh line of personal computers — even though it aired only once.

Except for one thing: Despite the legend, the spot didn’t air just during Super Bowl XVIII, nor was the Super Bowl spot the commercial’s first time on television.

WHEN DID THE FAMOUS 1984 APPLE MACINTOSH TV COMMERCIAL FIRST AIR?
Read the complete Q&A here, then enjoy the sublime reference to the classic "Super Bowl" Mac ad in this Simpsons clip.