12 Of The Best Apple Print Ads Of All Time [Gallery]

By

thegreatestad

 

Apple has a reputation for having some of the best advertisements in the world. Not only does Apple know how to make unique products that consumers lust for, but they know how to sell them to people better than any company on the planet.

Over the last three decades Apple has had some incredible print ads. Some have struck the heart strings of consumers, while others were just really bad. We took a look at some of the best Apple print ads from the over the years and decided that these are 12 of the best ever.

 

 

One of the earliest Apple ads, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” was the first ad that showed Apple really embracing minimalism in their ad campaigns. They departed from that style for a few years but then came back to it in the late 90’s. We think this one of Apple’s best uses of simplicity.

 

Sometimes Apple made great bad ads, like this one. Yeah, it shows the Apple computer, and a kid having fun playing video games. But the computer is placed in a weird position so the kid has to stretch to press the keys in the opposite direction of the monitor. And then there’s the creepster salesman behind the kid giving him an awkward massage. It’s terrible. It wreaks of the early 80’s and all the bad ads that came with it, and we love it.

It’s hard to say which print ad from the Think Different campaign was the greatest, but Muhammad Ali gets the nod because he is The Greatest. The Think Different campaign was full of simple ads that really ignited Apple’s drive towards innovation and reestablished the brand after Steve came back.

 

The Newton line felt like something straight out of the future. It was the iPad Mini before we had iPad Minis. Shoot, we still don’t have iPad Minis (yet). Even though Apple killed the MessagePad 200, we love how Apple made us feel like the future was finally here.

 

The Macintosh was the first computer that really brought PCs into the mainstream by being easy to use. We like how this ad mirrors the way Steve Jobs introduced the Macintosh, by pulling it out of a bag and letting the world see what it can do.

The Power Mac G4 Cube wasn’t a commercial success, but it sure did look pretty, and Apple had some gorgeous ads for it as well, like this one. Even when the product has sucked, Apple’s been great at advertising it.

A geekish play-on of Shakespeare is always a winner. Plus the IIc was one of the cutest little computers on the planet. Look at how adorable it is in this ad next to the IIe. Don’t you just wanna snatch it up and cuddle with it in your bed?

 

There were a lot of detractors when the iMac was unveiled. People thought that the clear casing looked goofy and was just a gimmick. Apple’s ads for the iMac really helped establish it as not just a funny looking computer, but one consumers should take seriously.

 

Any ad that features a half-naked man covering his naughty bits with a computer is a winner for us. Playing with the concept of Apple’s being more than just computers by jumping back to biblical times was both clever and funny.

 

Following the lead of the iMac ads, the “Black tie optional” ad for the iBook G3 utilized Apple’s minimalist ad style that had been perfected to a fault. The ad provided a perfect balance of showcasing that an iBook can be serious enough for professionals, while maintaining it’s fun style that made it so successful.

 

Steve Jobs thought computers were like bicycles for the brain, so Apple used a series of ads that featured prominent figures of history known for their intellect – such as Henry Ford, The Wright Brothers, Thomas Jefferson, etc – and asked consumers to think about the possibilities of what could have been if those great men had access to computers. We think that series of ads really showcased the power of computers in general.

 

Apple’s tag for the iPhone 4 – “This changes everything. Again” – was really just a regurgitation from earlier ad campaigns. Apple’s great at finding an ad style that resonates with consumers, and then hitting back on it again and again without overdoing it.

 

 

Source: Retronaut

 

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