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Posted on 03/19/2007 12:15:37 AM PDT by Swordmaker
"It may be the most stunning and creative attack ad yet for a 2008 presidential candidate -- one experts say could represent a watershed moment in 21st century media and political advertising," Carla Marinucci reports for The San Francisco Chronicle. "Yet the groundbreaking 74-second pitch for Democratic Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, which remixes the classic "1984" ad that introduced Apple computers to the world, is not on cable or network TV, but on the Internet."
"And Obama's campaign says it had absolutely nothing to do with the video that attacks one of his principal Democratic rivals, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Indeed, the ad's creator is a mystery, at least for now," Marinucci reports.
Marinucci reports, "The compelling 'Hillary 1984' video recently introduced on YouTube represents 'a new era, a new wave of politics ... because it's not about Obama,' said Peter Leyden, director of the New Politics Institute, a San Francisco-based think tank on politics and new media. 'It's about the end of the broadcast era.'"
"But some say the ad is just the latest attempt by outside activists to influence political campaigns -- or the newest way for campaigns to anonymously attack their opponents.
The video is a sophisticated new take on director Ridley Scott's controversial Apple ad that caused shock waves with its premiere during the 1984 Super Bowl, and shows the same blond young female athlete running with a sledgehammer toward a widescreen -- where an ominous Big Brother figure drones to a mass of zombielike followers," Marinucci reports. "But this time, the woman is wearing an iPod -- and has her candidate's slogan on her chest. And the Big Brother -- whose image she defiantly smashes with a wave of her sledgehammer -- is Clinton, the Democratic presidential front-runner."
"The tagline for the attack: 'On Jan. 14, the Democratic primary will begin. And you'll see why 2008 won't be like 1984.' An updated Apple symbol -- transformed into an O -- is followed by the dramatically emerging logo: BarackObama.com," Marinucci reports.
"With a single airing during Super Bowl XVIII, '1984' did more to change the way ads are created and viewed than any commercial in years. It was not the most heartwarming spot nor a big laugh getter, but it turned a little-known brand into a household name and set a new commercial standard for production values and cinematic style. '1984' also raised the financial stakes: Apple spent a then-outlandish sum of $400,000 to produce the ad and $500,000 to air it; 15 years later, a minute of Super Bowl time costs $3.2 million. Lee Clow, then executive creative director of Chiat/Day, recalls that '1984' almost debuted during a lowlier college bowl game. 'We had to make a last-minute switch to the Super Bowl because Apple wanted to air the ad closer to the date when the product would actually be available for sale,' he says. 'Funny how something that simple could have changed a big piece of advertising history."
Did you know that Apple's "1984" commercial, widely credited with starting the Super Bowl advertising craze, actually aired twice? The actual first airing was on a small U.S. local station — KMVT-TV (Twin Falls, Idaho) on December 15, 1983 in the 1:00am sign-off slot — in order for the spot to qualify for 1983 advertising awards.
Apple remastered the famous spot to incorporate an iPod and showed it at MacWorld Expo in January 2004. "We couldn't resist," said Apple CEO Steve Jobs:
(The Obama ad is taken from the one with the iPod... Swordmaker)
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The political writer for the S/F Chronicle is apparently unaware Apple dubbed their own '1984' commercial for the 2004 MacWorld Expo to include an iPod.
review
Does anyone know who was the female athelete in that commercial?
Don't get all excited. Remember she's 23 years older now than she was in 1984. She's probably 45-50, and I'll bet she doesn't wear an iPod, or run around in gym shorts.
Just speaking statistically, mind you. There are exceptions...
Not excited...I was wondering what happened to her..she's a quasi- iconic figure..like the girl who got eaten in the opening credits of Jaws...who never had another movie role..
Fun little video. You gotta admit that Apple does advertising pretty well.
Anya Major
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anya_Major
That add is HILLARIOUS!
(Vanity) Political Limerick 3-19-2007
grey_whiskers | 3-19-2007 | grey_whiskers
Posted on 03/19/2007 9:16:41 AM EDT by grey_whiskers
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1803140/posts
Many thanks.....FR is a wonderful resource..
IMHO, Apple's current "Hello" ad is every bit as powerful as the 1984 ad. Its different, but very, very compelling. One word: "hello" said over and over again - reminding us of the very first written "hello" on a Macintosh computer. It promises that something wonderful this way comes.
By the pricking of my thumbs, I think you might have something there...
Anyone know where we can get a downloadable version of that video?
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