think different speech

Think different.

Steve jobs narrated version.

Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

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💎 The full text of the 1996 Apple Think Different ad

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. But the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward. Maybe they have to be crazy. How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels? We make tools for these kinds of people. While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Excerpt from: Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points, Badges and Leaderboards by Yu-kai Chou

HT: @rshotton

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The real story behind apple's 'think different' campaign.

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This post was written by Rob Siltanen, chairman and chief creative officer at Siltanen & Partners.

Apple ’s remarkable rise, coupled with Steve Jobs ’ recent death, has prompted quite a few people to reflect on the historical impact of the “Think Different” ad campaign and the “To the crazy ones” commercial that launched it. There have been a lot of different accounts of how the work was created, who conceived it, and how it was presented to Jobs, so I thought now was a good time to share my own perspective and give you an inside look.

How do I know what took place? I was there—right in the thick of it. I was the creative director and managing partner at TBWA/Chiat/Day working on the Apple pitch alongside CEO and Chief Creative Officer Lee Clow. Together, Lee and I headed up and actively participated in all of the work done for the pitch. I was also in every agency meeting with Jobs throughout the process — pre-pitch, pitch and post-pitch.

In writing this story, I’ve drawn from handwritten, dated creative journals I’ve diligently chronicled throughout my agency career as well as files I saved from the 1997 Apple time period (being a packrat often proves useful). In these journals are countless pages of notes and concepts I jotted down during the process of trying to bring Apple back to prominence. I also found the original “To the crazy ones” television script I presented to Jobs, as well as a plethora of rough drafts.

While I’ve seen a few inaccurate articles and comments floating around the Internet about how the legendary “Think Different” campaign was conceived, what prompted me to share this inside account was Walter Isaacson’s recent, best-selling biography on Steve Jobs. In his book, Isaacson incorrectly suggests Jobs created and wrote much of the “To the crazy ones” launch commercial. To me, this is a case of revisionist history.

Steve was highly involved with the advertising and every facet of Apple’s business. But he was far from the mastermind behind the renowned launch spot. In fact, he was blatantly harsh on the commercial that would eventually play a pivotal role in helping Apple achieve one of the greatest corporate turnarounds in business history. As you’ll learn later in my account, the soul of the original “The crazy ones” script I presented to Jobs, as well as the original beginning and ending of the celebrated script, all ultimately stayed in place, even though Jobs initially called the script “shit.” I’ve also read a few less than correct accounts on how the “Think Different” campaign was originally conceived. While several people played prominent parts in making it happen, the famous “Think Different” line and the brilliant concept of putting the line together with black and white photographs of time-honored visionaries was invented by an exceptionally creative person, and dear friend, by the name of Craig Tanimoto, a TBWA/Chiat/Day art director at the time.

I have read many wonderful things about Steve Jobs and how warm and loving he was to his wife, children and sister. His Stanford commencement address is one of the most touching and inspiring speeches I have ever heard. Steve was an amazing visionary, and I believe the comparisons of him to some of the world’s greatest achievers are totally deserved. But I have also read many critical statements about Steve, and I must say I saw and experienced his tongue lashings and ballistic temper firsthand—directed to several others and squarely at me. It wasn’t pretty. While I greatly respected Steve for his remarkable accomplishments and extraordinary passion, I didn’t have much patience for his often abrasive and condescending personality. It is here, in my opinion, that Lee Clow deserves a great deal of credit. Lee is more than a creative genius. In working with Jobs he had the patience of a saint.

People ask me what Steve Jobs was like, and I often describe him as a mix between Michelangelo, Mies van der Rohe and Henry Ford—with some John McEnroe and Machiavelli thrown in. Steve was fiercely driven, and there’s no way Apple could have possibly gone from laughingstock to “the stock you dream of owning” so swiftly without a relentless, self-confident genius at the helm. But Steve Jobs didn’t turn Apple around by himself. Many talented and dedicated people played key roles, and that turnaround first began with an advertising campaign called “Think different.”

Here’s the story.

The first meeting with Steve

It was early July 1997 when Lee Clow joyfully strolled into my office and said we would be flying to San Jose and driving to Cupertino to talk with Steve Jobs about Apple’s advertising account. Steve had recently come back to Apple as their interim CEO, and he was looking to make some changes. On the flight, Lee told me he firmly believed Jobs would “hand us” the account, which at the time was housed at BBDO, the same agency that won the business from Chiat over 10 years earlier. Lee felt Chiat/Day never deserved to lose the Apple business and this, hopefully, would be Jobs’ way of making up for the agency getting screwed over in the past.

At the time, our agency was on a roll. We had been named agency of the year by the top trade magazines, and we were winning a lot of new business, including some major accounts without pitching at all. I was 33 years old, and I was creative director and managing partner at the agency where I headed up the Nissan and Infiniti accounts—the two largest accounts in the agency network. I had recently created a famous Nissan spot called “Toys” that had been named commercial of the year. Our Nissan and Infiniti staff consisted of some the most talented creative people in the ad industry. We were all stoked at the thought of working on Apple and proving our creative capabilities beyond the car business.

On the plane ride to Apple, Lee told me that if we were asked to formally pitch the business against other agencies, he’d respectfully decline. For years Clow and I would have lunch together, and he would tell me how wrong it was that agencies had to spend their own big money in order to pitch accounts. Now it appeared we held all the cards, and I fully agreed with Clow we shouldn’t pitch. Not only was the agency red hot at the time, Lee had already done the best work in advertising history for Apple in the past. We both believed anything less than a direct handoff would be a slap in the face.

When we arrived at Apple’s headquarters, a secretary showed us to a large conference room and said Steve would join us shortly. Lee hadn’t seen Steve in 10 years, and I was expecting Steve would give Clow a warm embrace and a “welcome home” type of greeting. That wasn’t exactly the case.

Jobs walked into the conference room wearing his trademark black mock turtleneck, shorts and a pair of flip-flops. But while he looked casual, he was all business.

The hellos and introductions were very short, and there was zero time spent reminiscing about the glory days when Lee and the old guard at Chiat helped Jobs create some of the most awe-inspiring advertising of all time. Jobs basically said, “Good to see you. Thanks for coming. Now let’s get down to business.” He then went on to say that Apple was “hemorrhaging” and the company was in worse shape than he had imagined. He said, “We have some decent product, but we need to get things figured out. I’m putting the advertising up for review, and I’m meeting with a handful of agencies to see who ‘gets it.’ I’ve already been talking with a couple of agencies that seem pretty good, and you’re invited to pitch the account if you’re interested.” At this point I thought to myself, well, this isn’t going as planned.

Jobs went on to say that the process would be fast and he didn’t need to see fancy executions—just some initial concepts and thinking. He said, “I’m thinking no TV ads, just some print ads in the computer magazines until we get things figured out.” Clow remained his cool, reserved self at this point, while I found Jobs to be far more bossy and arrogant than I imagined. I got the impression he felt we were just another company lucky to be in his presence. I also didn’t agree at all with his gameplan. I chimed in and told him, “Half the world thinks Apple is going to die. A few print ads in the computer magazines aren’t going to do anything for you. You need to show the world that Apple is as strong as a lion. Nobody stands around the water cooler talking about print ads. You need to do something bigger and bolder. You need to do TV and other things that are going to give you true momentum.” I went on to say that any agency could talk the talk. You need to see actual creative executions to truly judge the power of an idea.

“Fine, show me the ideas and executions that you guys think are best,” Jobs shot back. We weren’t getting off to a good start, but I didn’t mind playing the bad cop because I figured Lee would put the kibosh on things very shortly. “Well, that’s up to Lee,” I said. Lee had told me just hours earlier that we wouldn’t pitch, so I turned to Lee, thinking he was going to tell Jobs, “Thanks, but no thanks.” Instead, Lee calmly said, “Well, if you like some of the other agencies you’re talking with, why don’t you just go with one of them?” Jobs said he might. Lee then told Jobs, “We’ll think it over and call you tomorrow.”

On the cab ride to the San Jose airport, I asked Clow what was going on. “I thought you said we weren’t going to pitch?” Clow said, “I’ve changed my mind. If we win this thing, we’ll have a great story to tell. I want to get it back.”

Next: Finding the right idea

The creative process

Back at the agency I gathered the creative teams and briefed them on the assignment. Most of the teams worked directly for me on the Nissan business, and a few others were junior art directors that served as Lee’s creative assistants. There was no time to wait for a long written-out strategy or to put together a detailed creative brief. We needed to figure out how to get Apple back on track fast.

All of the creatives had used Apple computers for years. They were not only well aware of the brand — they lived it and loved it every day. They really didn’t need a formal strategy. I requested that people start creating ideas immediately and we’d review work in a week. Meanwhile the account team, agency planners and our new business team began pulling as much information as possible on Apple’s strengths and weaknesses in the marketplace.

(photo courtesy of Rob Siltanen)

Apple had some brand zealots in various creative industries, and we thought maybe the best way to stop the bleeding was to do some testimonials with famous celebrities we had heard were Apple backers. We found that people such as Steven Spielberg and Sting used Apple computers, and so did several other prominent creative stars. Conversely, we saw a lot of articles talking about Apple negatively — many people in the business world were calling Apple computers “toys” that were incapable of “real” computing. Meanwhile, the press started suggesting that buying an Apple was a dumb purchase, and they spoke freely of the fact that Apple had a miniscule and shrinking market share while also having a fraction of the software applications of classic PCs. Apple’s situation was outright ugly. But through ugly situations come beautiful opportunities.

The next week we gathered in a large conference room at the agency where everyone had their work tacked up on wallboards. The room was filled with photos, pencil sketches, rough ideas and taglines. You know that scene in the movie “A Beautiful Mind” where the room is plastered with paper on every inch of wall space? Well, during a new business pitch or preparation for a big project, our conference rooms typically looked like that. This pitch was no exception. About four different creative teams had work represented, and virtually all of it was mediocre. Through quantity doesn’t necessarily come quality.

But there was one campaign that jumped out at me. And it jumped out in a big way.

It was a billboard campaign that had simple black and white photographs of revolutionary people and events. One ad had a photo of Einstein. Another had a photo of Thomas Edison. Another had a photo of Gandhi. Another had the famous photo of flowers placed in gun barrels during the protest of the Vietnam War. At the top of each image was the rainbow-colored Apple logo and the words “Think Different.” Nothing else.

The creator of the work was a brilliant art director named Craig Tanimoto. Craig had worked with me for many years (mainly on the Nissan business), and he virtually always had a unique way of looking at things. When I started my own ad agency a few years later, Craig was one of the first creative people I hired.

Craig’s Apple campaign seemed big and fresh in a room that was filled with classic computer shots and stereotypical celebrity photos. I loved it. But at the same time, the work seemed in need of explanation.

I asked Craig what it all meant, and he said, “IBM has a campaign out that says "Think IBM" (it was a campaign for their ThinkPad), and I feel Apple is very different from IBM, so I felt “Think Different” was interesting. I then thought it would be cool to attach those words to some of the world’s most different-thinking people.”

The rainbow-colored logo served as stark contrast to the black and white photography, and, to me, it seemed to make the “Think Different” statement all the more bold. It was the exact kind of attention-getting and thought-provoking advertising Apple desperately needed. Clow loved the idea as well, and we directed everyone in the room to start blowing it out in TV and other media.

At this point, the entire team started working on television concepts, and several art directors started finding other famous black-and-white images that would be turned into magazine ads. Meanwhile, Clow had Jennifer Golub, one of the agency's most talented and artistic broadcast producers, begin looking for video footage of legendary people. Typically in a new business pitch or when we were trying to construct a new campaign from scratch, we would build what we called “rip-o-matics” or what are often referred to as a “mood” or “concept” videos.  These videos are usually only intended to be seen by the client, and they serve as a set-up for the campaign. When creating television commercials, you need to keep within the network constraints of costly 30- or 60-second time slots, but with a mood video, time isn’t an issue, and the primary objective is to create a feeling or tone of voice.

Clow came up with the inspired idea of using Seal’s haunting song “Crazy,” with the key lyric, “We’re never going to survive unless we get a little crazy” as the driving force to the video. I worked with Clow on a title card explaining the concept that throughout history, true visionaries have gone against the grain and thought differently, and Apple makes tools for these types of people.

After the video played, a series of title cards appeared.

There are people who see the world differently. They see things in new ways. They invent, create, imagine. We make tools for these kinds of people. Because while some might see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. (FADE TO APPLE LOGO AND TAGLINE) Think different.

The video, cut by Dan Bootzin, Chiat’s gifted in-house editor, was strong and moving. It was also about two minutes long. We relentlessly tried to cut the video down to a 60-second spot, thinking Jobs would want to turn it into a television commercial if we won the pitch, but the lyrics wouldn’t work in the cut-down format. While I believed the video was great as a mood piece, I always felt I could write something with more teeth and staying power. I thought if Jobs liked the direction we were heading, then I would write a more impactful commercial later.

With the mood video finished, a great outdoor and print campaign in place and a few storyboarded TV concepts drawn up, we had a day to do a pitch run-through at the agency. In a traditional pitch scenario, three or four of us would have roles throughout the presentation, but because Clow had a past relationship with Jobs and we had only one campaign to share, I suggested Clow do the entire pitch presentation — from the thinking behind the campaign all the way through to the creative executions. Lee was always an amazing presenter, and he was so passionate about Apple that I felt the rest of us would only interrupt his flow. Lee and the rest of the team agreed.

Next: Steve Jobs' reaction

A small handful of us flew to San Jose, and we were directed to a very compact conference room at Apple where we set up the presentation. Jobs walked in with a few other people from Apple, and on that day he seemed like he was in very good spirits. Clow began the pitch, and the more he started talking, the more enthusiastic and passionate he became. He took Jobs through our thinking and walked him through the outdoor, print and TV spots. He closed with the mood video and finished by saying he thought this was the right campaign and we were the right agency.

Jobs was quiet during the pitch, but he seemed intrigued throughout, and now it was time for him to talk. He looked around the room filled with the “Think Different” billboards and said, “This is great, this is really great … but I can’t do this. People already think I’m an egotist, and putting the Apple logo up there with all these geniuses will get me skewered by the press.” The room was totally silent. The “Think Different” campaign was the only campaign we had in our bag of tricks, and I thought for certain we were toast. Steve then paused and looked around the room and said out loud, yet almost as if to his own self, “What am I doing? Screw it. It’s the right thing. It’s great. Let’s talk tomorrow.” In a matter of seconds, right before our very eyes, he had done a complete about-face.

After the win

After we had officially won the business, Steve (as predicted) said he wanted to run the Seal video as a commercial. He had become mesmerized with the video, and he wanted to cut it down to a :60. We told him we had unsuccessfully tried this before the pitch, but we would try some more. We tried again and again, but it still wouldn’t work. There were also some issues with getting the rights from Seal, but that basically didn’t matter. The lyrics provided a powerful element to the video, and when they were cut up or eliminated entirely, the piece lost its power. Lee and I flew back to Apple to go over general business, and we told Steve the mood piece was never intended to be a spot and it wouldn’t cut down. He wasn’t very happy about it. I told him I would write a manifesto that would be even better. I was always moved by the movie " Dead Poets Society, " starring Robin Williams, and particular pieces of the movie had made a major impact on me. The emotion and the context of the movie very much related to what I wanted to capture for Apple. Below are some key passages from "Dead Poets" that resonated with me and ultimately served as inspiration for the Apple script.

“We must constantly look at things in a different way. Just when you think you know something, you must look at it in a different way. Even though it may seem silly or wrong, you must try. Dare to strike out and find new ground.” “Despite what anyone might tell you, words and ideas can change the world.” “We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. Poetry, beauty, love, romance. These are what we stay alive for. The powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”

I quoted a few lines from "Dead Poets" and asked Steve if he’d seen the movie, and he said, “Of course I have. Robin Williams is a personal friend of mine.” I told Steve I would write something in a similar tone of voice, and we’d come back in a week.

I went back to the agency and worked non-stop day and night. I filled my journal with countless handwritten scripts. I wrote everything with the mindset it would be spoken by Robin Williams. I had two sections that I loved. The opening, which I had written to feel like a titled poem …

“To the crazy ones. Here’s to the misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The people who see the world differently.”

and the closing:

“The people who are crazy enough to believe they can change the world are the ones who actually do.”

I felt the opening was powerful because I designed it to sync up with the images of the geniuses and have a certain shock value. I thought about the brilliant people throughout history and the struggles they went through. Many lived tortured existences, and it was becoming clear to me that they shared a common thread. Like Apple, they all had amazing visions, but also like Apple, all of them at one point or another were given unflattering labels. Martin Luther King was seen as a troublemaker before he was universally seen as a saint, the rebellious Ted Turner was laughed out of town when he first tried to sell the concept of a 24-hour news channel, and it's been said that before Einstein was celebrated as the world’s greatest thinker, he was thought to be just a guy with crazy ideas. Of course in 1997, Apple was being called a “toy” that was only for “creative types,” and it was being chastised for not having the same operating system as everyone else. But I felt this copy would speak to the fans and get people who weren’t on our side to re-evaluate their thinking and realize that being different is a good thing. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “To be great is to be misunderstood,” and I always believed that was the general concept behind the “Think Different” campaign.

Early writing for To The Crazy Ones. Rob originally wanted Robin Williams to voice the commercial. ... [+] (photo courtesy of Rob Siltanen)

I believed the end line of the script was wonderfully succinct and beautifully poetic. It was my favorite part of the copy. I struggled a bit with the middle and wrote endless versions because that is where the piece needs to turn the corner and speak about the relationship or commonality that these geniuses share with Apple while not being too much of a hard sell. Eventually, I had a few versions that I felt worked nicely. I shared my scripts with Lee, and he thought they were good. He made a couple tweaks, and we put my voice on a 60-second rough cut. We shared it with quite a few people around the office, and several people said it gave them goosebumps.

continued...

Lee and I flew to Cupertino to play the spot in person to Jobs. Only the three of us were in the room. We played the spot once, and when it finished, Jobs said, “It sucks! I hate it! It’s advertising agency shit! I thought you were going to write something like 'Dead Poets Society!' This is crap!”

Credit: John G. Mabanglo/AFP/Getty Images

Clow said something like, “Well, I take it you don’t want to see it again.” And Steve continued to go on a rant about how we should get the writers from "Dead Poets Society" or some “real writers” to write something.

I was taken aback by his tirade. I had poured my heart and soul into the piece, and I had played what I believed was a key role in the entire architecture of the campaign, and he was going off on me. I told him, “Steve, you may not like the piece, but it doesn’t suck.” Jobs continued to say he thought it was crap, and Clow, trying to put the fire out, said we’d go back and try some other things.

The original script we presented to Jobs (as taken from my files) is below. As you can see, it’s very close to the final script that would eventually go to air.

To the crazy ones. Here’s to the misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. Here’s to the ones who see the world differently. They’re the ones who invent and imagine and create. They’re the ones who push the human race forward. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to believe they can change the world are the ones who actually do. FADE TO APPLE LOGO AND LINE “Think different.”

When Clow and I left the building, I told Clow I had given the script everything I had, and I thought it was best he get someone else to deal with Jobs. I told him Apple had taken up a ton of my time, and I needed to spend more time on my duties as creative director on the agency’s two largest accounts, Nissan and Infiniti. Clow agreed.

When we returned to the agency, I went back to putting my energies into our car clients. Meanwhile, Lee put the Apple TV assignment out to various copywriters within the agency and brought in a few noted freelancers, too. One of the writers given the assignment was Ken Segall. Ken was a highly gifted writer/creative director who was hired shortly after we won the Apple business. Ken had worked with Jobs in the past, and Clow convinced Ken to leave his job at an agency in New York (Y&R) and work for us in Los Angeles on the Apple business. Upon Ken’s arrival in L.A., he was quickly given the task to work on the TV script along with all the other writers. One day, Ken came to my office and said, “Jobs has seen a ton of scripts, and he’s gone full circle …we’re moving ahead with your ‘Crazy Ones’ script. I made some tweaks. I hope you don’t mind.”

Ken had added some beautiful additions to the TV script, and he created a long copy version of the script that was turned into a magazine and newspaper ad. His additional touches were terrific, and he truly did make the spot better than ever, but the heart and soul of the spot from the original version stayed fully intact.

While I had always hoped Robin Williams would be the voice over, he refused to do any form of advertising, so they ended up going with Richard Dreyfuss. I always felt Tom Hanks or Dreyfuss would be the next best choices. Clow always wanted Jobs to do the read, and I’ve heard the version Jobs laid down , but I never thought it was the right thing. It seemed too self-serving to me. I think the selection of Dreyfuss was an excellent one. I later used Robin Williams to voice a campaign for the Olympics — he obliged because it was pro-bono — and he was truly amazing. But Dreyfuss gave the “Crazy Ones” spot a slow, gritty and unique read that made each word seem all the more important. In my mind, Dreyfuss ended up being the perfect choice, and he would have been next to impossible to top.

After the outdoor campaign went up and the spot aired, it wasn’t long before Apple became the talk of the town. Some of the talk wasn’t good. A writer for the Los Angeles Times ripped on the campaign, saying something along the lines of, “It’s perfect that Apple is doing a campaign with a bunch of dead guys because the brand will be dead soon, too.” But the great thing was—good or bad—people were talking about a brand that had fallen off their radar. And they were talking a lot. Apple clearly had a pulse, and while they weren’t strong as a lion, they certainly gave the impression they were. This got the Apple faithful fired up, it got the fence-sitters back on board, and it got an audience that once thought of Apple as semi-cool, but semi-stupid to suddenly think about the brand in a whole new way. Apple was off to the races and about to make history.

Next: How "Think Different" transformed Apple Final thoughts

While Steve Jobs didn’t create the advertising concepts, he does deserve an incredible amount of credit. He was fully responsible for ultimately pulling the trigger on the right ad campaign from the right agency, and he used his significant influence to secure talent and rally people like no one I’ve ever seen before. Without Steve Jobs there’s not a shot in hell that a campaign as monstrously big as this one would get even close to flying off the ground. But while Steve accomplished more amazing things than perhaps any business person before him, a lot of people helped him get there. And without some very dedicated advertising people, Apple’s incredible rise from flame to fame probably never would have happened.

When the “Think Different” campaign launched, Apple immediately felt the boost despite having no significant new products.  Within 12 months, Apple’s stock price tripled. A year after the “Think Different” launch, Apple introduced their multi-colored iMacs. The computers represented revolutionary design, and they became some of the best-selling computers in history. But without the “Think Different” campaign preceding and supporting them, it’s likely the jellybean-colored and gumdrop-shaped machines would have been viewed by the press and general public as just more “toys” from Apple.

Clio award (photo courtesy of Rob Siltanen)

Even with my painful run-ins with Steve, things ended up working out pretty well. The “Think Different” campaign would win many awards, and the “Crazy Ones” would go on to win several commercial-of-the-year honors.

The creative credits had many of us listed—and Clow made sure to put Steve Jobs on the list, too. I always thought that was cool because the campaign truly required the contribution and dedication of many. Craig Tanimoto and I would go on to do a lot of enjoyable work for other brands, and we remain the closest of friends. Ken Segall would go on to create the wonderful iMac launch campaign and do tons of outstanding work for Apple before eventually returning to New York.

Several other brilliant creative people made sizeable contributions as well—people such as Yvonne Smith, Margaret Midget Keen, Jessica Shulman, Jennifer Golub and Dan Bootzin dedicated their talent and enormous amounts of time to the Apple cause. So did Chiat’s remarkable media director, Monica Karro. And outstanding creative people such as Duncan Milner, Eric Grunbaum and Susan Alinsangan have kept the flame burning with one fantastic campaign after the next — all thanks to the enduring talent, guidance and patience of Lee Clow.

Despite the sad death of Steve Jobs, his legacy and impact on the world will be remembered forever. I can’t help but to think that his life may have been cut short, but his memory will outlast us all. Apple seems to have done pretty well, too. In 1997, they were in deep trouble, and this year, they were ranked the most valuable company in the world. Crazy? You better believe it.

About the Author

Rob spent ten of his 23 years in the advertising business at TBWA/Chiat/Day in Los Angeles. In 1990, at the age of 26, he was made the youngest creative director in the history of the agency and headed Chiat/Day’s largest account for nine years. Before his departure in his role as creative director/managing partner Rob oversaw five accounts with total media billings of over $700 million. His accomplishments include: Time magazine commercial of the year, Rolling Stone magazine commercial of the year, USA Today commercial of the year, Adweek commercial of the year, the Emmy award for commercial of the year, five commercials in the permanent collection at the New York Museum of Modern Art, the most successful new-model launch in automotive history and the winning of virtually every top advertising-industry honor, from Gold One Show to Gold Clio to Grand Effie.

Rob and his imaginative work have been featured in articles by The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal. He has also discussed his work on a variety of television programs including Good Morning America and The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Since forming Siltanen & Partners in November 1999, Rob’s work has continued to receive the highest acclaim. His ad campaign for Freeinternet.com, featuring a character called “Baby Bob,” was turned into a sitcom for CBS. The Baby Bob Show was the first prime-time sitcom inspired by an advertising character, and was the 26th-highest-rated television show in America.

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Think Different 1997

A moving internal speech/Q&A inside Apple, that Steve Jobs led 2 months after his return to Apple as interim CEO. He used it to introduce the Think Different marketing campaign to employees. It's widely acknowledged that the campaign was as much designed to advertise to Apple customers as it did to motivate and energise Apple's own staff.

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Apple Steve Jobs The Crazy Ones – THINK DIFFERENT

Apple steve jobs the crazy ones.

Steve Jobs narrates the first Think different commercial “Here’s to the Crazy Ones”.  “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

10 Reasons Steve Jobs is known to Inspire

• Vision and Innovation : Jobs had a remarkable vision for the future of technology. He consistently pushed the boundaries of what was possible and introduced groundbreaking products like the Macintosh, iPhone, and iPad. His innovation inspired others to think creatively and aim for the extraordinary.
• Passion : Jobs was deeply passionate about his work. He believed in the potential of technology to improve people’s lives and was driven by this passion. His enthusiasm was infectious and inspired those around him.
• Attention to Design : Jobs was renowned for his focus on design and aesthetics. He believed that products should not only function well but also be beautifully designed. This commitment to excellence in design has influenced many industries and designers.
• Simplicity : Jobs advocated for simplicity in design and user experience. His philosophy was that technology should be intuitive and easy to use. This approach to simplicity has had a lasting impact on product design and user interface.
• Resilience : Jobs faced numerous setbacks and failures in his career, including being ousted from Apple in the 1980s. His ability to bounce back and persevere through adversity serves as a source of inspiration for many who have faced their own challenges.
• Compelling Communication : Jobs was an excellent communicator. He had a knack for delivering compelling presentations and keynotes that captivated audiences. His storytelling skills made complex technology accessible and relatable.
• High Standards : Jobs was known for his high standards and insistence on excellence. He motivated his teams to strive for perfection, and this commitment to quality has had a profound influence on product development and innovation.
• Belief in the Impossible : Jobs was unafraid to pursue what many considered impossible. He famously said, “The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” This belief in the potential for radical change has inspired countless innovators.
• Attention to Detail : Jobs paid meticulous attention to the details of his products, from the curvature of a device to the fonts used in the user interface. This level of detail-oriented thinking has influenced design and branding strategies.
• User-Centered Approach : Jobs believed in creating products that would enhance the lives of users. He approached product development from a user-centered perspective, aiming to fulfill their needs and desires.

Quotes by Steve Jobs

• “My model for business is The Beatles. They were four guys who kept each other’s kind of negative tendencies in check. They balanced each other and the total was greater than the sum of the parts. That’s how I see business: great things in business are never done by one person, they’re done by a team of people.” ~  Steve Jobs
• “I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.” ~  Steve Job
• “Sometimes when you innovatl;e, you make mistakes.  It is best to admit them quickly and get on with improving your other innovations.”  ~  Steve Jobs
• “We don’t get a chance to do that many things, and every one should be really excellent. Because this is our life. Life is brief, and then you die, you know? And we’ve all chosen to do this with our lives. So it better be damn good. It better be worth it.” ~ Steve Jobs, co-founder Apple Inc.

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• How Tim Cook Became Apple’s CEO.
• Steve Jobs Changed the World.
• Steve Jobs: One of the Greatest Speeches Ever.
• Tim Cook Videos , current CEO of Apple Inc. Responsible for the Apple Supply Chain and what it is today.
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Steve Jobs was not the mastermind behind 'Here's to the Crazy Ones,' says Rob Siltanen

Rob siltanen was in the room during the development of the "think different" campaign and claims that steve jobs was not the mastermind behind the narrative..

By Thomas Ricker , a deputy editor and Verge co-founder with a passion for human-centric cities, e-bikes, and life as a digital nomad. He’s been a tech journalist for almost 20 years.

Source Forbes

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Apple's "Think Different" ad campaign was recently resurrected as a somber requiem to Steve Jobs following his death in October. In particular, the 60-second Here's to the Crazy Ones spot narrated by Jobs himself took on the tone of a eulogy when viewed in retrospect, some 14 years after the original aired with a Richard Dreyfus voiceover. Walter Isaacson wrote about the evolution of the media blitz in his authorized biography Steve Jobs , attributing much of the celebrated Crazy Ones script to Jobs himself. However, that's not the truth according to Rob Siltanen's account in Forbes :

"How do I know what took place? I was there—right in the thick of it. I was the creative director and managing partner at TBWA/Chiat/Day working on the Apple pitch alongside CEO and Chief Creative Officer Lee Clow. Together, Lee and I headed up and actively participated in all of the work done for the pitch. I was also in every agency meeting with Jobs throughout the process — pre-pitch, pitch and post-pitch."

As he was apt to do , Steve Jobs initially called the Crazy Ones script "shit," according to Siltanen. He goes on to say that Jobs was "blatantly harsh on the commercial" and "far from the mastermind" of the piece that would introduce the hallowed "Think Different" ad campaign to the world and help orchestrate one of the most incredible corporate — and personal — comebacks in history.

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Transcript:

To me marketing’s about values this is a very complicated world it’s a very noisy world and we’re not going to get a chance to get people to remember much about us no company is and so we have to be really clear on what we want them to know about us now Apple fortunately is one of the half-a-dozen best brands in the whole world right up there with Nike Disney Coke Sony it is one of the Great’s of the greats not just in this country but all around the globe and but but even a great brand needs investments and caring if it’s going to retain its relevance and vitality and the Apple brand has clearly suffered from neglect in this area in the last few years and we need to bring it back the way to do that is not to talk about speeds and fees it’s not to talk about MIPS and mega Hertz it’s not to talk about why we’re better than Windows the dairy industry tried for 20 years to convince you that milk was good for you it’s a lie but they tried anyway and the sales were going like this and then they tried got milk and the sales are going like this got milk the thing to talk about apartment that focuses on the absence of the product but but but the best example of all and and one of the greatest jobs of marketing in the if the universe has ever seen is Nike remember Nike sells a commodity they sell shoes and yet when you think of Nike you feel something different than a shoe company and their ads as you know they don’t ever talk about the product they don’t ever tell you about their soils and why they’re better than Reebok or so where’s Nike doing their advertising they honor great athletes and they honor great athletics that’s who they are that’s what they are about Apple spent a fortune on advertising you’d never know it you’ve never known so when I got here you Apple just fired the agency we’re doing a competition with 23 agencies that you know four years from now we’ll pick one and we blew that up and we hired Shaddai the ad agency that I was fortunate enough to work with years ago we created some award-winning work including the commercial voted the best one ever made 1984 by advertising professionals and we started working about eight weeks ago and what was the question we asked was our customers want to know who is Apple and what is it that we stand for where do we fit in this world and what we’re about isn’t making boxes for people to get their jobs done although we do that well we do that better than almost anybody in some cases but apples about something more than that Apple at the core its core value is that we believe that people if fashion can change the world for the better that’s what we believe and we’ve had the opportunity to work with people like that we’ve had an opportunity work with people like you with software developers with customers who have done it in some big in some small ways and we believe that in this world people can change it for the better and that those people that are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones that actually do and so what we’re going to do in our first brand marketing campaign in several years is to is to get back to that core value a lot of things have changed the markets a totally different place than it was a decade ago and apples totally different in Apple’s place in it it’s totally different and believe me the products and the distribution strategy in manufacturing a total different and we understand that but values and core values those things shouldn’t change the things that Apple believed in at its core are the same things that Apple really stands for today and so we wanted to find a way to communicate this and what we have is something that I am I’m very moved by it honors those people who have changed the world some of them are living some of them are not but the ones that aren’t as you’ll see you know that if they ever use the computer it would have been an act and the theme of the campaign is think different it’s the people honoring the people who think different and who move this world forward and it’s it is what we are about it touches the soil of this company so I’m go ahead and roll it and I hope that you feel the same way about it I used to the crazy ones the misfits rebels troublemakers round pegs in the square holes once you see things they’re not fond of rules and they have no respect the status quo you can quote them disagree with them glorify or vilify them about the only thing you can’t do change things push human race forward and while some may see them as the crazy ones we see genius is the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.

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Ian has marketed for some of the world's best-known brands like Hewlett-Packard, Ryder, Force Factor, and CIT Bank. His content has been downloaded 50,000+ times and viewed by over 90% of the Fortune 500. His marketing has been featured in Forbes, Inc. Magazine, Adweek, Business Insider, Seeking Alpha, Tech Crunch, Y Combinator, and Lifehacker. With over 10 startups under his belt, Ian's been described as a serial entrepreneur— a badge he wears with pride. Ian's a published author and musician and when he's not obsessively testing the next marketing idea, he can be found hanging out with family and friends north of Boston.

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Think Different – Apple Commercial (1997) Voice Over Script

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

TOP-10 Scripts from Edge Studio's Voice Over Script Library

Elder scrolls v: skyrim – opening dialogue.

[Skyrim opens with an Imperial wagon driving four prisoners down a snowy mountain pass. All are seated and bound; the one dressed in finery is gagged.]

Ralof: Hey, you. You’re finally awake. You were trying to cross the border, right? Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there.

Lokir: D**n you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy. If they hadn’t been looking for you, I could’ve stolen that horse and been half way to Hammerfell. You there. You and me — we should be here. It’s these Stormcloaks the Empire wants.

Ralof: We’re all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief.

Imperial Soldier: Shut up back there!

[Lokir looks at the gagged man.]

Lokir: And what’s wrong with him?

Ralof: Watch your tongue! You’re speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King.

Lokir: Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You’re the leader of the rebellion. But if they captured you… Oh gods, where are they taking us?

Ralof: I don’t know where we’re going, but Sovngarde awaits.

Lokir: No, this can’t be happening. This isn’t happening.

Ralof: Hey, what village are you from, horse thief?

Lokir: Why do you care?

Ralof: A Nord’s last thoughts should be of home.

Lokir: Rorikstead. I’m…I’m from Rorikstead.

[They approach the village of Helgen. A soldier calls out to the lead wagon.]

Imperial Soldier: General Tullius, sir! The headsman is waiting!

General Tullius: Good. Let’s get this over with.

Lokir: Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh. Divines, please help me.

Ralof: Look at him, General Tullius the Military Governor. And it looks like the Thalmor are with him. D**n elves. I bet they had something to do with this. This is Helgen. I used to be sweet on a girl from here. Wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in. Funny…when I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe.

[A man and son watch the prisoners pull into town.]

Haming: Who are they, daddy? Where are they going?

Torolf: You need to go inside, little cub.

Haming: Why? I want to watch the soldiers.

Torolf: Inside the house. Now.

Galadriel’s Opening Monologue – The Lord of the Rings

Galadriel: (speaking partly in Elvish)

(I amar prestar aen.)

The world is changed.

(Han matho ne nen.)

I feel it in the water.

(Han mathon ned cae.)

I feel it in the earth.

(A han noston ned gwilith.)

I smell it in the air.

Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it.

It began with the forging of the Great Rings. Three were given to the Elves, immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings. Seven to the Dwarf-Lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. And nine, nine rings were gifted to the race of Men, who above all else desire power. For within these rings was bound the strength and the will to govern each race. But they were all of them deceived, for another ring was made. Deep in the land of Mordor, in the Fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged a master ring, and into this ring he poured his cruelty, his malice and his will to dominate all life.

One ring to rule them all.

One by one, the free lands of Middle-Earth fell to the power of the Ring, but there were some who resisted. A last alliance of men and elves marched against the armies of Mordor, and on the very slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle-Earth. Victory was near, but the power of the ring could not be undone. It was in this moment, when all hope had faded, that Isildur, son of the king, took up his father’s sword.

Sauron, enemy of the free peoples of Middle-Earth, was defeated. The Ring passed to Isildur, who had this one chance to destroy evil forever, but the hearts of men are easily corrupted. And the ring of power has a will of its own. It betrayed Isildur, to his death.

And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend. Legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge. Until, when chance came, it ensnared another bearer.

It came to the creature Gollum, who took it deep into the tunnels of the Misty Mountains. And there it consumed him. The ring gave to Gollum unnatural long life. For five hundred years it poisoned his mind, and in the gloom of Gollum’s cave, it waited. Darkness crept back into the forests of the world. Rumor grew of a shadow in the East, whispers of a nameless fear, and the Ring of Power perceived its time had come. It abandoned Gollum, but then something happened that the Ring did not intend. It was picked up by the most unlikely creature imaginable: a hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, of the Shire.

For the time will soon come when hobbits will shape the fortunes of all.

To Sit In Solemn Silence

To sit in solemn silence in a dull, dark, dock,

In a pestilential prison, with a life-long lock,

Awaiting the sensation of a short, sharp, shock,

From a cheap and chippy chopper on a big black block!

The Dark Knight (Joker’s “Chaos” Monologue)

Do I really look like a guy with a plan, Harvey?

I don’t have a plan …

The mob has plans. The cops have plans.

You know what I am, Harvey? I am a dog chasing cars… I wouldn’t know what to do with one if I caught it.

I just do things. I am just the wrench in the gears. I hate plans.

Yours, theirs, everyone’s. Maroni has plans. Gordon has plans.

Schemers trying to control their worlds.

I am not a schemer. I show the schemer how pathetic their attempts to control things really are.

So when I say that you and your girlfriend was nothing personal, you know I am telling the truth.

I just did what I do best. I took your plan and turned it on itself.

Look what I have done to this city with a few drums of gas and a couple of bullets.

Nobody panics when the expected people gets killed. Nobody panics when things go according to plan, even if the plan is horrifying.

If I tell the press that tomorrow a gangbanger will get shot or a truckload of soldiers will be blown up, nobody panics. – because it’s all part of the plan.

But when I say that one little old mayor will die, everybody lose their minds.

Introduce a little anarchy, you upset the established order and everything becomes chaos.

I am agent of chaos.

And you know the thing about chaos Harvey?

“IT is FAIR.”

Old Spice – “The Man Your Man Can Smell Like”

Hello, ladies, look at your man, now back to me, now back at your man, now back to me. Sadly, he isn’t me, but if he stopped using ladies scented body wash and switched to Old Spice, he could smell like he’s me. Look down, back up, where are you? You’re on a boat with the man your man could smell like. What’s in your hand, back at me. I have it, it’s an oyster with two tickets to that thing you love. Look again, the tickets are now diamonds. Anything is possible when your man smells like Old Spice and not a lady. I’m on a horse.

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Intro Package with the Group Evaluation Class

$ 97.00 original price was: $97.00. $ 77.00 current price is: $77.00..

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Ready to  feel  what being a voice actor is like?  And learn how you fit in?

Welcome to Edge Studio’s Intro Package – with a Group Evaluation Class!

1. To ensure you begin in the best direction, you’ll begin with our industry-popular 2-hour foundation/evaluation class : You’ll get some key info about the industry, current trends, and you’ll learn how there are 23 genres, including animation, audiobooks, audio dramas, audio guides, commercial, corporate, documentary, narration!  Then the bit moment: you’ll read scripts and receive candid feedback, so that your instructor can assess where you best belong in the industry!

2. After that, you’ll receive your coach’s clear recommendations with feedback, with practical steps to take: During the evaluation portion of your Voice Over Intro Package, your coach will (1) give you live-directed candid feedback, (2) assess your voice, performance, and natural vocal strengths, and (3) develop a realistic path for you. Afterward, our team will review all this with you by phone.

3. And you’ll get Edge’s popular Guides:  including the Edge Studio  Industry Performance Guidebook ,  The 5 Types of VO Demos , and  The Demo Script Selection Guide . These are industry-trusted and will aid in your voice over training journey, helping you to make informed decisions and know the industry better.

4. Then you’ll get to ‘Feel what it’s like being a voice actor!’ You’ll have free access to 10 VO classes, workouts, and audition simulations.   This is an amazing opportunity to: Experience our coaches, Meet other students, Meet other voice actors, Hone your skills, And ask questions! We’ll give you the schedule and Zoom links for all of them, so you can log-in anytime you want, to as many as you want – and feel welcome to totally participate or just observe and learn!

This is the quickest way newcomers begin working as voice actors.

This program is perfect if you’re new to VO and want to find out if it’s for you – and want to dip your toes in without going overboard. It can lead to booking work.

And the evaluation portion is honest, the personalized plan is practical. We’re here to help. And that’s why this class is likely the most recommended class in the voice over industry.

Benefits of the Intro Package with our Group Evaluation Class:

• This is a realistic representation of the voiceover environment in which the voice actor reads scripts, the client listens, directs, and gives feedback remotely (or in the case of our in-person classes in NYC or LA from the other side of the booth!)
• Observing other students helps you develop your “ear.” Voiceover performance is approached in various ways, depending on each student’s personal nature, ability, and other factors — as you’ll see when other members of the class read.
• More than that,  you will learn by observing the other students’ response to direction.  You learn by taking direction yourself, but you learn  even more  by hearing the changes other people make.
• Ultimately, you’ll learn how to incorporate that insight into  your own  delivery.
• The group class is economical, longer, and just as productive.

The Group Evaluation Class:

• Online on a Zoom-webinar – with a live instructor
• In New York City , at the Edge Studio voiceover casting and production studios in Midtown Manhattan
• In Los Angeles , at our partner studio, Voice Trax West

During your class:

• Get an overview of the modern voice over industry
• Read for a coach and receive live feedback
• Receive a follow-up call with a member of our team to discuss the areas of voice over where we think you would be most marketable, as well as give you a recommendation on what steps we believe will be most optimal for you to take to become successful.  The purpose of this class is to provide you with a road map for your training, so make sure you get the most out of your time with Edge Studio.

Here’s why thousands of people choose to train with Edge Studio:

• Live training- We believe that live interaction with coaches and instructors is the best way to learn a new skill
• Train from anywhere- We specialize in training students remotely
• A wide array of continuing education opportunities that will teach you how to market yourself, build a home studio, develop your business plan, and work on your vocal technique
• Private training with working professionals
• Dedicated Education Advisors who will take you through every step of the process
• A flexible schedule based on your availability
• The most successful demos in the voice over market today

In this highly interactive class , you’ll work in a small group setting – with one of our Edge Studio Instructors, either Online via Zoom, or in-person at our New York City or Los Angeles studio.

You’ll read voiceover scripts, be directed, have Q&A time, and have a private discussion with our team (the next day or so) to review your assessment, recommendations, and suggested next steps to take.

Special: Join now & try it out! After your evaluation, participate in Zoom group Voice Workouts for a month – including 4 different famous coaches! It’s a great way to get started on your voiceover journey. 

During the month, you can participate in any of these:

• 2  Audition Drill & Rehearsal Sessions , with David Goldberg
• 2 Home Studio & Career Guidance   Q&A Sessions , with David Goldberg
• 2 Peer-led  Voice Workouts , with Erica Brookhyser
• 2 Instructor-led  Voice Workouts , with Ashley Adler
• 2  VO Marketing Accountability Team   Sessions , with Brian Wiggins

Lastly, have a quick private Zoom session with one of our coaches, to assess where you are and get advice on what to do next:  Round out your intro to us with a 15-20 minute meeting with our owner David Goldberg to talk through what next steps in VO might make sense for you.

Edge Studio has been launching successful voice over careers for over 35 years. Our training program and demo production is considered to be the best in the voice over industry for both beginners and seasoned professionals. If you are interested in launching your voice over career, Edge Studio is the perfect place for you to start.

39 reviews for Intro Package with the Group Evaluation Class

I had this intro class with Ashley and I am SO glad that I did! She is energetic, informative, and realistic about the V.O. world. She gave legitimate feedback to each individual student, and helped us figure out which niche would be best for each of us. The students were also just as passionate about V.O. which helped make this class such an amazing introduction. Everyone had multiple opportunities to get behind the mic and try out different scripts while receiving immediate feedback and direction. Absolutely recommend!!

When I first took this webinar I had NO prior voice-over experience, this class gave me an outlook into the voice world and I have been hooked since!

I took a group session with Mr. Art and he was just wonderful. He made his points very clear and kept the class engaged with wisdom of the industry.

I’m glad the group class was available! Art was casual and encouraging but also realistic and specific with his feedback of group members. I definitely want someone who will be direct and clear in the feedback so that I can get where I want to go. Thanks Edge Studio!

moderator was energetic and informative. Made the class so much fun

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Voice Over and Audio Production Services

Voice over audiobooks.

Recording and narrating audiobooks is one of the popular services at Edge Studio. Our team consists of experienced narrators, engineers, directors, editors, and reviewers. With the help of professional sound production equipment, we create high-quality fiction and nonfiction titles in a creative working environment.

Audiobook narration here also comes with confidence; you’ll be assured of getting a sound that is engaging and pleasant to the ear. And more importantly, will immediately capture the attention of the audiobook reader!

Voice Over Movie

One of the main factors behind the commercial success of a movie, documentary, or other film, is a voice over. The soundtrack should be clear, without any additional noises, and most importantly – it should make the audience feel a certain way. The best solution to achieve all the above is to order professional voiceovers by the best movie voice over artists.

Voice Over IVR

As the first thing customers hear during the call, IVR is the face of the company. A well-written script and a well-voiced telephony helps create the image of a reliable business while seizing the customer’s attention.

What’s more, an IP telephony allows you to distribute a high volume of calls between operators, quickly redirect each caller to the right person, and automate customer support. For achieving the best result, it is better to use a professional voice over for your phone system. Your IP telephony will become an effective communication tool and present your company in its best light.

Voice Over Commercials

A carefully selected voice actor is the key to an effective advertising campaign and leads to brand recognition and capturing the customer’s imagination. When selecting the best commercial voice over actors, Edge Studio strives to fully match the requirements set by the advertiser with a voice that perfectly matches the advertised product or service.

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Bm | Narrating the discussion

• 23 Nov 2023

Brand Campaigns, Part 5.1: Thinking Different about Apple’s “Think Different” Campaign

The Americas

In case you got the wrong idea, I’m not anti-advertising, anti-agency, or anti-brand. I just don’t have the luxury of entertaining company activity that doesn’t contribute to the bottom line. That’s because I specialize in commercial strategy, a chunk of which involves measuring the financial returns of marketing investments in order to optimize the expense. And because the majority is always wrong when it comes to high performance, you’ll get a very different side of the story from me than what prevails throughout our industry.

SEE ALSO: ROI vs ROAS: Which Is the Better Metric for Digital Advertisers?

Now, before you read this, I highly recommend reading at least Part 4 of this series . That’s where we explored the 16 pros and cons of brand campaigns, many of which reveal themselves throughout this real-life case study. While you’re at it, Parts 1, 2, and 3 wouldn’t go astray either. If you’ve read them already, then you’ll understand why I say it’s too simplistic to have binary views on the marketing discipline.

We don’t live in a world where there are simple black or white answers to an incredibly complex profession. But unfortunately, many people seem to believe in false dichotomies, especially when it comes to the topic of brand. Brand campaigns are somehow over to one side, busy building “brand”, while all other campaigns and activities are some place else generating sales (or whatever they’re supposed to do). This, as we demonstrated in Part 3 , shows a fundamental misunderstanding of how advertising works.

The problem with brand campaigns in particular is that the concepts are so intangible that the campaigns sold by scammers versus those sold by skilled professionals can appear identical to the untrained eye. Which is why I’ve written this whole series in the first place–so you can learn to spot the difference.

Fair warning: This part of the series goes pretty deep into analyzing Apple’s famous brand advertising campaign. I can already hear you saying, “Why do you have to hurt my brain again, John? I can’t take this anymore!” But it’s our failure to dig deeper that perpetuates these falsehoods in the first place. So, it’s kind of necessary.

Good news is I’ve spent months doing all the digging and heavy lifting for you. All you have to do is grab your favorite beverage, find somewhere comfortable, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

The crazy ones

Remember Apple’s famous “Think Different” commercial? The one Steve Jobs launched on stage in 1997 talking about how important it was that the brand rediscovered its identity? How Apple needed to define what they stood for in order to compete in a noisy world? It’s one of those rare videos that does the rounds on LinkedIn and Twitter feeds on heavy rotation (not common for a video from the 90’s). The TV commercial that follows his speech is iconic and, by all accounts, was a roaring success.

Steve said the ad was made so Apple could better communicate their values to the market and refresh a brand suffering from neglect. Because that’s the secret to effective advertising, right? Finding your “why”, your brand purpose, and communicating it to the world. It’s what we’re all striving to do as we follow Patagonia’s footsteps.

Well…turns out that’s not why this Apple ad was made.

It was made so an agency could get their client back. It was made even after Steve firmly rejected it. But most of all, it was made because, quite simply, they had nothing else to talk about. Lucky for everyone, it just happened to become a global hit and is now admired the world over.

SEE ALSO: De-Positioning: The Secret Brand Strategy Apple and Starbucks Won’t Tell You About

The more I dug into this campaign’s backstory, the more I realized how misleading this viral video really is. Few had bothered to question the campaign’s real impact. I know I hadn’t. And this has led to decades of copycat behavior based on a mixture of half-truths and lies.

So, here’s the red-pill story if you’re game to hear it. The full story–including many parts you may find surprising–to the best of my knowledge. It’s quite different from the dominant narrative within marketing circles and reveals some inconvenient truths industry folks probably don’t want you knowing about.

This may change how you think about advertising forever. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Defiling a deity

A few months ago I sent advertising Twitter into a tailspin by suggesting brand campaigns were a scam. In the comments that ensued, a lot of people kept referencing this particular Apple campaign as counter-evidence, motivating me to dig deeper. What exactly was the original purpose of “Think Different”? How did the idea start? What short- and long-term effects did it have? Surely a campaign of this magnitude would easily reveal itself in Apple’s financials. And yet, this is where things got even more interesting because it didn’t.

But “Think Different” (a.k.a. “The Crazy Ones”) is a multi-award-winning TV commercial, frequently labeled one of the best ads of all time. Best for whom, though? How do we even judge effectiveness in the first place, and what did the campaign do to Apple’s bottom line? Because brand values, beliefs and awareness are all great, but senior marketers know that if you want respect at senior levels, commercial impact is the key.

When you ask marketing what the campaign did? pic.twitter.com/oNoJPzNA9M — John James (@adoseofjohn) November 12, 2023

Yet Steve’s speech above wasn’t impromptu. It was rehearsed. Actually, this particular announcement is also an extreme outlier. The entire campaign, in fact, is an outlier because it’s one of the only–if not THE ONLY (correct me if I’m wrong here)–Apple campaigns that doesn’t mention a product.

If you watch that video again–very closely, with fresh eyes–you’ll notice just how rehearsed it is. The hand to chin pensive poses. Intentional pauses and gestures at just the right time. Eyes down at his feet when talking about struggles. Glancing up to the crowd with forlorn eyes just as he makes an important point. It’s a world-class example of persuasive delivery.

SEE ALSO: The Effect of Leadership on Brand Legacy

And persuade he did. Steve was a master communicator and this speech sets the scene perfectly for what comes next. He’s priming the audience and pre-selling the creative idea even before the film starts to roll (something every advertising exec knows is key to a successful pitch). The 60-second TV commercial that follows is simply a piece of art to spearhead Apple’s first brand advertising campaign in 6 years.

But is it too good? Are we getting trapped inside a halo, basking in the glow of Jobs’ aura instead of assessing the campaign and Steve’s foresight objectively? Was Bill Burr right?

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a brilliant speech either way–a speech that makes marketers nod in agreement as they sense the irresistible urge to tag their CEO in the comments. And the ad remains a brilliant piece of moving image that’s so engaging, creative directors consider sacrificing their fedora collections to the advertising gods.

But at the same time, every fan of the ad I came across had no idea why it was created. And it seems the story has become so embellished over time that much of the original truth has been lost, which wouldn’t be an issue except that marketers still use it to justify something the campaign was never intended, nor achieved.

History is written by the victors

“Think Different” first aired September 28, 1997 at the tail end of that year’s $90m annual advertising budget. Apple bought big. Airing first via two prime-time slots during the debut of A Toy Story (Pixar film). This premium TV buy was heavily supported by other broadcast, print, and outdoor media running late into the 1998 financial year.

SEE ALSO: How to Pitch Digital Branding Campaigns in the Post-Mad-Men Era

You have to remember, this was a time before digital media was a thing. YouTube wouldn’t be launched for another 8 years! E-commerce was a foreign concept to nearly everyone and the World Wide Web was in its infancy. In this era, TV was lucrative because it could capture massive swathes of public attention in one fell swoop.

The ad creative was world-class. The media buys were smart. And “Think Different” quickly became an iconic ad, winning a slew of industry awards along the way, praised by critics worldwide. It leveraged the power of a simple message delivered in poetic fashion to devastating effect. This choice of creative was a significant departure from competing ads at the time that were product functionality-focused. Feast your eyes on this classic as an example:

After Steve rolls the commercial, he explains the crux of their new media strategy:

Steve Jobs’ explaining the media spots for the Think Different campaign. Part 5 of the article series dropping soon! pic.twitter.com/bVH6hOZuwK — John James (@adoseofjohn) October 30, 2023

This campaign became so iconic, it inspired a whole generation of people around the world. A string of books about Apple’s design philosophy hit the shelves. Copywriters became so enamored with Apple’s inspirational prose that they emulated the writing style for other clients. Leaders emerged from the shadows of the boardroom to launch products on stage, as well. Executives even started talking less about financials and more about company values. People started dressing like Steve, which led to a shortage of turtleneck sweaters in the Bay Area. “Think Different” cults sprang up. Decades later, even Elizabeth Holmes would tap into Steve’s 90s image to the disadvantage of her investors.

And today, marketing commentators continue to heap praise on this campaign. It’s become a poster child of sorts (for creative directors especially) on the virtues of brand advertising. Many marketers believe this ad is a timeless, shining example of advertising done right. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who would tell you otherwise.

But, is it?

Correlation–every marketer’s favorite snack

The idea for writing this article came to me years ago while watching a YouTube video. In this video, a marketing commentator attempts to explain the reasons for Apple’s stock market success. This person speaks in a way similar to how most marketers speak about marketing they love. They talk about how brilliant the ads were before going on to claim these campaigns were responsible for the company’s current financial position.

And while this might be true on rare occasions, what’s more telling is what’s omitted from the discussion. Product, distribution, and pricing are rarely mentioned. Not to mention less glamorous promotional activities like sales activation or point of sale. Nor is business strategy mentioned–neither partnership deals, ecosystems, network effects, talent, nor R&D. And especially not investor relations and financial mechanisms.

There’s nothing wrong with this, sure. I mean, we can’t all be experts in everything. But it’s a common trap even the most experienced marketers routinely fall into. An oversight (mistaking correlation for causality) that actually stymies their executive career potential. Here’s an example that shows just how easy it is to make this mistake:

There’s a whole page where this came from if you fancy a chuckle. My personal favorite is still…

In truth, many factors contributed to Apple’s financial performance at the time, and the same goes for any company. It’s myopic to attribute any single business function, let alone one advertising campaign, to a company’s financial performance without considering all the other variables.

A colleague of mine just happens to specialize in public company valuations in the media and technology sector. He’s worked for some of the largest investment banks in the world, so I asked: “What would you say if someone claimed that one ad campaign (or a series of them) had a significant impact on a company’s public value?”

Once he stopped laughing, I pressed for a longer answer. Putting down his Caldwell Cigar and gently resting a glass of Macallan 25 onto its ivory coaster, he opened the top button of his Super 130’s Zegna suit, leaned over, and said…

“An individual campaign is almost always going to have a negligible impact on valuation.

One of the most important things analysts are trained in is to not get caught up in the hype and emotion these companies try to generate. To quote Warren Buffett, “In the short run, the market is a voting machine but in the long run, it is a weighing machine.’ Capitalizing higher earnings as a result of one campaign into perpetuity is almost always going to drive an unsustainably high view of the business’s future earnings and its valuation.

Individual campaigns are unlikely to drive meaningful long-term valuation uplifts because, how can you measure their impact in 1, 2, 3, or 10 years time? Maybe they can boost near-term sales at best. A business’s valuation should be based on your view of the net present value of all future earnings .”*

*P.S. If you want to get a seat at the boardroom table, you need to understand these bolded terms.

A finance personality on Twitter takes this a step further, making the humorous point that market value is even more divorced from a company’s activity and earnings than many believe. Whether you agree with him or not, it would be misleading to overlook macro-economic factors or ignore everything else that was going on internally at Apple while “Think Different” was circulating .

Employees: Why is our stock down? Me: Ummm… Interest rates. Student loans. Ozempic. Jerome Powell. Recession fears. War in the Middle East. Oh and a company that kinda does what we do but not really did poorly Employees: Wait, nothing we do matters? Me: No, no, not at all — BuccoCapital Guy (@buccocapital) November 2, 2023

The complexity of commercial success is hard for many people to grasp. Thinking is a high-energy activity, and there’s a natural tendency for us to simplify things down to more digestible, easier to understand versions (reductionism). Then, we tend to select one or two variables from the entire mix (selection bias), make sure they align with / reinforce our own belief systems (confirmation bias), and claim that these factors contributed most to the final result (attribution bias). It’s simple, and it feels good–but it’s more often than not, wrong.

In fact, there’s one major omission in the viral Steve Jobs video we referenced earlier. And it’s the first 3 minutes of the talk! At the beginning, Steve gives the audience an overview of the turnaround strategy where he details the other 3 P’s of marketing (pricing, distribution, and product). Yet this part doesn’t make the cut in the 6-minute version marketers post on social media. Why? That’s a good question.

The start of a famous Steve Jobs’ speech that’s omitted by marketers. Part 5 of the article series dropping soon! pic.twitter.com/j9sNJd1yCj — John James (@adoseofjohn) October 30, 2023

The political dynamics at play in our professional lives also provide a strong incentive for us to ignore what is true. If you’re a marketing commentator with various advertising industry sponsors behind the scene, it’s only natural for you to project a certain “pro-advertising” line. As an agency, you’ll cherry pick information from case studies to help retain clients or win new ones. And as a CMO, if you don’t claim credit for success, someone else certainly will.

All of this means there’s little incentive for any of us to question the validity of “successful” campaigns because they can have both political and commercial value. The problem is that this creates a self-reinforcing loop.

“Don’t let the internet rush you. No one is posting their failures.” – Wesley Snipes

Mr. Snipes seems to be well aware of the concept of survivorship bias, and the same applies to marketing campaigns. Few talk about campaigns that fail and even fewer question what makes the others “successful”.

The tweetstorm

That said, it wasn’t totally unexpected when some advertising industry personalities became defensive after I criticized their deity’s (brand campaigns) effectiveness on Twitter . They immediately went on to reference famous ad campaigns from Apple and Nike as irrefutable proof points. In their eyes, “Think Different” and others like it provide concrete evidence of the superior role brand campaigns play in company growth, especially when compared to the evil nemesis that is “performance marketing”.

SEE ALSO: Performance Marketing? No-One Knows Anything

Not only were these people insulted by my reference to brand campaigns as a “scam”, they were adamant “Think Different” was effective. Oh, and I was an idiot for even daring to question it. But when asked for evidence, these same voices became silent, struggling to provide concrete evidence or figures (not that I could at the time either). Nor could they define with any consistency what a brand campaign even was, which was strange. How could they believe something was effective if they can’t first explain what it is we’re all talking about? ( See Part 1 for the answer. )

Now even more intrigued, I wondered what commercial impact this campaign actually had. Had anyone bothered to crunch the numbers? Or were we all just relying on second-hand information and taking someone else’s word?

Lucky for you, I went through the trouble of finding out.

Romeo returns from exile

Just like any good Shakespearean play, we first need to set the context of this period because it will become important. Two computer companies, both alike in dignity, in fair Cupertino, where we lay our scene.

It’s 1997. Jobs has just returned to the CEO helm after Gil Amelio left following a period of poor performance. Apple was left holding a large portfolio of products which weren’t selling particularly well. They were also rapidly losing market share to upstart rival duo IBM/Microsoft. Investors and customers were nervous, and Apple was facing the grim reality of bankruptcy.

But Jobs’s return was no light appointment. Even though he co-founded the company with Wozniak back in the late 70s, there was a history of bad blood with certain board members. In fact, Steve’s last stint as CEO ended unceremoniously following a power struggle . This forced departure in late 1985 by all accounts left him quite spiteful. But to his credit, instead of wallowing in anger, he founded two new companies. Pixar and NeXT Computers both ended up becoming successful multi-billion dollar companies in their own right. Successful enough for others to notice–and notice they did.

According to MBA Knowledge Base , “Microsoft’s release of Windows 95 in 1995 forced Apple’s CEO, Dr. Amelio, to respond with the release of their next generation operating system code-named ‘Copland’. But Copland was so behind schedule they looked outside the company to purchase a new OS, ironically deciding to purchase NeXT Computer from Jobs. The board became impatient with Amelio when sales didn’t rebound quickly enough and he was replaced with Jobs.”

So, Steve was only returning to Apple as part of a software acquisition deal–one that also included a range of personal computers being used by people like Tim Berners Lee at the time. It’s also easy to overlook just how old Apple was at this stage. Founded in 1979 and public since 1980, Apple was a very mature, multi-billion dollar company when Steve returned. Their first brand campaign (“1984”) and their second (“Think Different”) occurred 8 and 22 years after their IPO–an especially important fact to acknowledge if you’re a small, early stage company thinking about investing in a brand campaign like Apple. “1984” may have been lauded by marketing industry pundits and touted as the best ad of all time, but it actually didn’t fare too well commercially (or help further Steve’s executive career).

World’s Best Ad… or maybe not? 🤔 Sales Decline: After an initial strong interest, the sales of Macintosh couldn’t sustain and started to decline. Layoffs: Apple laid off 1,200 employees, which was about 20% of its workforce in 1985, due to financial struggles. Leadership… pic.twitter.com/7t5vacWSdb — Brat V (@bratinceptly) November 2, 2023

But that’s a story for another time. The problem in 1997 was a financial one and investors were losing confidence in Apple’s leadership, a predicament reflected in the company’s stock price and market cap.

To illustrate just how bad things were, Apple’s market capitalization (stock price x number of shares) when it first floated in 1980 was $1.8bn and, by the end of December 1997, dropped to $1.6bn. This means that, in the 16 years since their IPO, Apple had decreased in value. Making matters worse, they had incurred large losses in the 2 years prior, totalling a combined $1.87bn! So, when Jobs returned, he was immediately under pressure to turn the ship around…and quickly.

The stage was perfectly set for someone to sell a turnaround strategy, improve performance, and claim all the credit for it. Lucky for Steve, his timing was impeccable because this would coincide perfectly with the tail end of the dot-com boom.

Clearing the decks

Contrary to popular perception, Steve started his turnaround strategy with another marketing “P”: product. One of the first things he did was refocus their product portfolio, cutting poor performing ones and initiating the development of new ones.

The Pippin, Apple Quick Take, and the over-priced 20th anniversary Mac were all cut, followed by the Newton PDA a few months later. He also phased out software license deals they had with other computer manufacturers, which many schools were using at the time.

SEE ALSO: Branding’s Perfect 10 – Absolute Marketing

In fact, he cut so much of the product range that, by the end of 1997, only 4 products remained. 70% of the product portfolio was gone, along with 4,100 employees! But these cuts helped immediately lower expenses and took some pressure off earnings in the short term.

Executives always like quick wins. And just like a new coach hired for a team rebuild, Steve was being decisive and delivering straight out of the gate. He was squarely focused on setting Apple up for long-term growth. But we all know you can’t cut your way to growth. So, in August 1997, he also leveraged a legal predicament Microsoft found themselves in to convince Bill Gates to invest $150 million.

Fresh talent was next on the list. The board was overhauled and key hires were made, including people like Johnny Ives who ended up being a pretty good choice. A new, leaner, meaner Apple team then got to work designing new products that would form phase two of the turnaround.

Product trinity

While “Think Different” was still playing in the background, 10 months of R&D finally resulted in a new product that kickstarted the growth phase. In August 1998, iMac was released. It was colorful, distinctive, fairly priced, and packed lots of computing power in a visually attractive box. Luckily, it was also an instant hit, becoming the first product to start a new cult following that “changed the world” .

By this time, “Think Different” was still in circulation but was playing second fiddle to product-specific campaigns, starting with “Un PC” to promote the iMac:

The release of a portable computer iBook followed in 1999. It targeted a similar audience, a segment Apple believed had been underserved by the monochrome products that dominated personal computing at the time. And it wasn’t just their ads that were distinctive. Apple’s products were distinctive, too. Instead of dull gray and black boxes, Apple products were now brightly colored, curvaceous, and quirky. Both the iMac and iBook sold well and revenue trickled in. Momentum was building.

SEE ALSO: How to Build a Tattoo-Worthy Brand

By the early 2000s, the “Think Different” campaign was no longer the promotional star of the show, having been reduced to a limited number of print and outdoor ads. This is important to note when we get to the financial analysis in a minute.

In 1999, Apple launched the “Hal 2000” campaign promoting Macs, followed closely by “iMovie” in 2000 and “Beat” in 2001 promoting the iPod. All of these campaigns explicitly showcased products in the ads. None were what we would call “brand campaigns” nor did they reuse any elements from the “Think Different” campaign. And by 2002, Apple would stop using the “Think Different” campaign altogether.

So, what did “Think Different” do?

Did this famous brand campaign do anything during its lifetime (1997-2002)? Let’s quickly look at some key financial measures around that time period.

At face value, you might say the campaign had a mild short-term effect on market capitalization (red) and profit (yellow), but I was expecting to see a much larger bump. Especially for such a famous campaign. By 2002 (5 years later), it even appears Apple was back to where they were 12 years earlier (1990).

I can already hear you say, but John…

• Market capitalization increased–look at 1999!
• Profit was positive for 3 years after 2 negative years
• Revenue stabilized and then increased in 2000
• Brand campaigns can have long-term trailing effects that are not easily measured.

All fair points. And in the next article of this series, we’ll go through each and check. Fair warning once again, though: You may end up thinking differently.

In the meantime, don’t miss out on the other articles in this series:

• Brand Campaigns, Part 1: What Exactly Are They?
• Brand Campaigns, Part 2: Where Did They Come From?
• Brand Campaigns, Part 3: How Does Brand Advertising Work?
• Brand Campaigns, Part 4: Why and When Should You Use Them?
• Brand Campaigns, Part 5.2: Debunking Apple’s “Greatest Ad of All Time”

Cover image: Photology1971

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Watch CBS News

Think different: Life lessons from Steve Jobs

By Steve Tobak

October 5, 2012 / 12:58 PM EDT / MoneyWatch

Commentary:

(MoneyWatch) Steve Jobs was an American icon and one of the greatest entrepreneurs in history. His accomplishments as the founder and CEO of Apple ( AAPL ) and Pixar are unmatched in modern times.

What made Jobs so successful were his unique talents and his powerful self-image. He truly believed he was special. Ironically, that same quality may have been the reason why he refused potentially life-saving surgery for pancreatic cancer, something he later regretted, according to biographer Walter Isaacson .

That's what makes the legacy of Steve Jobs so inspiring, and yet so endearing. In his life we see greatness, but also frailty. In his speeches we find both power and humility. This was a man who did what few have done. He actually did make a dent in the universe. But, after all, he was just a man.

• Inside Apple's cult-like culture
• Stop trying to be like Steve Jobs
• The myth of the iconic leader

For the record, I'm no Apple fan-boy. I own its products because they make it easier for me to work and enjoy life. So on the first anniversary of his passing, it only seemed fitting to share some inspirational life lessons I've come to learn from Steve Jobs. Not surprisingly, they're as simple, genuine and iconic as the man and the products he created.

Follow your passion

One of the most inspirational speeches I've heard in my entire life was the Stanford University commencement address Jobs delivered in 2005, where he encouraged future entrepreneurs and leaders to trust their instincts and find their own true path in life:

"You have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something -- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life. The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle."

Think different

Only a true marketer like Jobs could somehow manage to find two words that described his philosophy on life. Those words -- think different -- became the mantra, as well as the company's advertising slogan, that drove Apple to develop breakthrough products that would dominate their markets. As Jobs said, "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice."

Inspire others to do great things

By all accounts, Jobs was hands-on to the point of micromanaging. But in the end, he built an extraordinarily talented management team and organization that are fully capable of carrying on without him.

While so much of Apple's success is attributed directly to Jobs, the book "Organizing Genius" by Warren Bennis reveals a relatively unexplored talent of the iconic chief executive -- his ability to inspire others to achieve great things. Jobs told the first Macintosh design team that they were there to "make a dent in the universe." And they did.

You have nothing to lose

Being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer changed Jobs. Facing his own mortality seemed to have made him more fearless, more willing to take risks. It became a powerful driving force behind the development of Apple's most groundbreaking products, the iPhone and iPad.

As Jobs said in 2005, "Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful, that's what matters to me. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose."

Success is built on innovation, not invention

As Malcolm Gladwell correctly points out in "Creation Myth: Xerox PARC, Apple and the Truth About Innovation," innovators may not be the guys who come up with ideas, but rather the guys who turn ideas into products people can use.

Steve Jobs didn't invent the computer mouse or graphical user interface, but when he saw them demonstrated at Xerox PARC in 1979 I'm sure his mind was racing with practical applications. Likewise, MP3 players, smartphones and tablet computers were around long before Apple introduced the iPod, iPhone and iPad.

You see, innovators don't see different things -- they see things differently. Steve Jobs certainly did. He was the ultimate focus group of one, a guy with a unique talent to perceive what people wanted before they even knew it themselves. He made technology fit the application, not the other way around.

Never lose faith

Perhaps the most inspiring story from that Stanford University speech was about the devastating loss of being ousted from the company he co-founded in 1985 and his subsequent redemption. "I didn't see it then," Jobs said, "but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me."

After that, Jobs founded NeXT and Pixar, met the love of his life, and ultimately returned to Apple. "I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful-tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith."

Do what has to be done

When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, the company was nearly bankrupt. So Jobs made a deal with his archrival, Bill Gates. He stood on stage and announced that Microsoft ( MSFT ) would invest $150 million in Apple and continue to support its Office suite of products for the Mac.

Aside from getting fired from the company he founded, that had to be about the hardest thing that Jobs had ever done. It had to be a humbling experience. But it had to be done, so he did it. And that day marked the beginning of the greatest turnaround in corporate history.

View all articles by Steve Tobak on CBS MoneyWatch » Steve Tobak is a consultant and former high-tech senior executive. He's managing partner of Invisor Consulting , a management consulting and business strategy firm. Contact Steve or follow him on Facebook , Twitter or LinkedIn .

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Steve Jobs Thinks Different – Best Marketing Strategy Ever!

Posted by top | May 14, 2016 | Blog , Champions , Marketing , Videos , WOW! | 0 |

Steve Jobs’ best marketing speech in the world – 1997

Photo: YouTube

Video transcript:

“To me marketing is about values! This is a very complicated world. It is a very noisy world. And we’re not going to get a chance to get people to remember much about us – no company is. And so we have to be really clear on what we want them to know about us.

Now, Apple fortunately is one of a half a dozen best brands in the whole world – right up there with Nike, Disney, Coke, Sony… It is one of the greats of the greats… not just in this country, but all around the globe.

But even a great brand needs investment and caring, if it is going to retain its relevance and vitality. And the Apple brand has clearly suffered from neglect in this area in the last few years. And we need to bring it back.

The way to do that is not to talk about speeds and fees. It’s not to talk about bits and mega-hertz. It’s not to talk about why we are better than Windows. The dairy industry tried for 20 years to convince you that milk was good for you. It’s a lie, but they tried anyway. And the sales were falling. And then they tried “Got Milk” and sales went up. “Got Milk” wasn’t even talking about the product. In fact, it focuses on the absence of the product.

But, the best example of all and one of the greatest jobs of marketing, that the universe has ever seen is Nike. Remember, Nike sells a commodity. The sell shoes! And yet, when you think of Nike, you feel something different than a shoe company.

In their ads, as you know, they don’t every talk about the product. They don’t every tell you about their air soles and why they are better than Reebock’s air soles. What does Nike do in their advertising? They honor great athletes. And they honor great athletics. That’s who they are. That’s what they are about.

Apple spent a fortune on advertising You’d never know it. So, when I got here, Apple just fired their agency and there was a competition with 23 agencies that four years from now we would pick one… And we blew that up and we hired Chiat/Day, the ad agency that I was fortunate enough to work with years ago… and created some award winning work… including the commercial voted the best ad ever made in 1984 (by advertising professionals).

And we started working about eight weeks ago. The question we asked was: ‘Our customers want to know who is Apple and what it is we stand for. Where do we fit in this world?’

What we’re about is not making boxes for people to get their jobs done, although we do that well. We do that better than almost anybody, in some cases.

But Apple is about something more than that. Apple at the core – its core value – is that we believe that people with passion can change the world for the better. That’s what we believe.

And we have had the opportunity to work with people like that – with people like you, with software developers, with customers, who have done it in some big and some small ways.

We believe that, in this world, people can change it for the better. And that those people who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones that actually do.

And so, what we’re going to do in our first brand marketing campaign in several years, is to get back t that core value.

A lot of things have changed. The market is a totally different place than where it was a decade ago. And Apple is totally different, and believe me, the products, and the distribution strategy and the manufacturing are totally different. And we understand that. But values and core values – those things shouldn’t change. The things that Apple believed in at its core are the same things Apple really stands for today.

And so, we wanted to find a way to communicate this. And what we have is something that I am very moved by. It honors those people who have changed the world. Some of them are living – some of them are not. But the ones that aren’t – as you’ll see – you’ll know that if they every used a computer, it would have been a Mac.

The theme of the campaign is “Think different.” It’s honoring the people who think different and move this world forward. It is what we are about. It touches the soul of this company.

So, I am going ahead and roll it and I hope that you feel the same way about it as I do.

PRESENTATION:

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” – Rob Siltanen Think different.

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People think they are much better at understanding others than they actually are – new research

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Cognitive Psychology - Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London

Reader in Cognitive Psychology, King's College London

Disclosure statement

Bryony Payne does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. This research was funded by the John Templeton Foundation

Caroline Catmur received funding from the John Templeton Foundation for the research reported here.

King's College London provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.

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The people who took part in riots and counterprotests in England and Northern Ireland this summer are probably very confident that they know the views and beliefs of those they oppose. But they are probably wrong. Our new research shows we struggle to understand the minds of people who differ from us.

People categorise each other socially. Those we think of as similar to ourselves are part of what social scientists call our “in-group” while those we think of as different are deemed an “out-group”. These differences can be based on race, religion, nationality, political beliefs, sexual orientation or class, to name a few.

We understand that there are lots of different types of people with varying beliefs in our in-group. For example, a white person knows that not all white people are alike. Yet people tend to think all members of an out-group are the same , with similar beliefs and views. What’s more, people are often wrong about what these are.

Our research tested this by asking 256 people from the US to predict the social and political beliefs of others. Of these participants, there were 119 men and 137 women, with an average age of 45, and the group was split evenly between those with left- and right-leaning political views. We presented participants with statements such as “immigrants are good for society” and asked them to what extent they agreed. We then showed them the responses of other people who had been asked the same question.

If the participant said they strongly agreed that immigrants are good for society, they would be presented with someone who said they strongly disagreed with this. This would make them out-group to the participant.

Now aware that the other person disagreed with them on one belief, we would then ask them to predict this other person’s opinion on a different topic, such as “everyone should have access to legal abortion” or “it is right that same-sex marriage is now legal and acceptable”. The participant might assume that people who are anti-immigration are also anti-abortion or against same-sex marriage.

We asked people to repeat this task with various beliefs for both in-group and out-group members.

Each time someone predicted what the other person thought, we asked them to state how confident they were that their prediction was correct on a scale from “not at all” to “extremely confident”. We found that people were consistently very confident that their predictions were accurate (75% confident) but, for out-group members, they were wrong more than 60% of the time.

We then assessed how well people’s confidence was aligned with their accuracy. For in-group members who were asked to predict the views of other in-group members, their confidence was well placed: the more confident they were, the more accurate they were. It was a different story for their prediction of the views of out-group members: the more confident they were, the more likely it was that they were wrong.

This shows that people think they are much better at understanding out-groups than they actually are.

Generally, people are better at understanding in-group members because we interact with them more . We build up a good understanding of the range of people within our in-group, learning that they are all individuals, differing in their thoughts, beliefs and views. We are confident we understand them and, because of our experience with them, we usually can.

In contrast, our understanding of out-group members is often limited to what we’ve heard about them on the news, via word of mouth or on social media. If this information is overly simplistic or not accurate, then much like other disinformation, it gives rise to commonly held misconceptions about the out-group and the views they hold.

Read more: The hypocrisy at the heart of racist riots

We apply the understanding we have of a few out-group members to everyone in the group, meaning we misunderstand a lot of people, but we think we understand them very well.

The consequences of this are, unfortunately, well known and serious. People value the lives of out-group members less . People are less likely to help out-group members as distrust, dislike and hostility towards them increases. People also become less willing to engage with out-groups, preferring not to work with, live near, or even sit near an out-group member . As societies become more polarised in this way, there are fewer chances for incorrect views to be challenged and corrected.

Understanding others better

We conducted a second experiment to try to find a way to counter these incorrect assumptions. This time, we told people whether their predictions were right or wrong.

Encouragingly, we found that by making people aware of their incorrect assumptions about out-group members, people started making better, more accurate predictions. They also became more aware of which people they were more or less likely to be able to understand.

It seems that making people aware of the real views and beliefs of out-group members can change how they think about them.

This is why it is so critical that people are exposed to the views of a diverse range of people. Hearing their stories and gaining insight into who they are as individuals – their personalities, beliefs, desires and emotions – helps us understand that, like our in-group, the out-group is made up of many different types of people. Over time, this makes it more likely that we will treat them with humanity.

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Tim Walz’s communal patriotism is a striking contrast to Trump's individualism

“We’re all here tonight for one beautiful, simple reason — we love this country,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said at the beginning of his convention speech Wednesday night . He clearly means it — it turns out you can be a skilled politician carrying out a strategy to win an election and also be sincere. In his speech, Walz showed why he offers Democrats an opportunity to reclaim patriotism, and perhaps help redefine it along the way. 

It turns out you can be a skilled politician carrying out a strategy to win an election and also be sincere.

For as long as I’ve been writing about politics, I’ve argued against the idea that some of us are “real” Americans and the rest of us are something else, or that some American places are more American than others. Those are pernicious ideas in a country as large and varied as ours, and one built on its ability to constantly remake and renew itself. But let’s be honest: If we put a thousand voters in a mind-reading machine and asked them to picture a “patriotic American,” certain kinds of people would come to mind. They’d look more like Walz than Vice President Kamala Harris: rural rather than urban, from the country’s middle rather than the coasts, male rather than female, and yes, probably white. 

Problematic as it might be, the fact that Walz “codes” as the kind of person you just know has a flag flying from their porch means that when he talks about patriotism, he might be able to convince some people who haven’t been too open to Democrats to listen. Which is why Walz’s framing of patriotism as community is so important. 

The Harris campaign has put the word “freedom” at the heart of its campaign, and Walz even sometimes describes the campaign ethos as “ mind your own damn business .” But he also talks frequently about the nation as a web of commitments and obligations of care. “The family down the road — they may not think like you do, they may not pray like you do, they may not love like you do, but they’re your neighbors. And you look out for them, just like they do for you,” he said in his speech. “Everybody belongs, and everybody has a responsibility to contribute.”

It’s a striking contrast with the Republican ticket, whose understanding of patriotism doesn’t have much to do with neighborliness. Walz’s counterpart, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, said in his convention speech that “the source of American greatness” can be found where his family is from in Kentucky, not because it represents American ideals, but because it “is our homeland. People will not fight for abstractions, but they will fight for their home.” But Vance doesn’t have much to say about what it means to live in that home.

The contrast is even more stark when we consider what Donald Trump has to say about patriotism. He has a schtick he does in which he literally hugs and kisses an American flag, which always gets a laugh from the MAGA faithful. It’s supposed to communicate that he loves his country but his brand of patriotism is utterly hollow. America is our team, we hate all the other teams, and that’s about as deep as it goes. Trump substitutes nationalism for patriotism, insisting that love for America is found in fear and animosity toward the rest of the world.  

Think about it this way: What exactly is it about America that Donald Trump loves? Have we ever heard him speak about the extraordinary diversity of our places and people, or our amazing achievements in science and culture, or the majesty of our national parks? Of course not. If you asked him why it is that people across the world dream of coming here, his only answer would be that we have to keep them out. 

And when he isn’t in power, he can’t help but describe the country in ways that drip with contempt. As far as Trump’s concerned, this is a land of mayhem and misery, full of losers and suckers who are worthy of nothing but scorn. And he has a particular affection for those who committed treason against America so they could keep other Americans enslaved.

That Trump can say the things he does and still claim to be patriotic only reminds liberals of how long they have been targeted with accusations of insufficient patriotism.

That Trump can say the things he does and still claim to be patriotic only reminds liberals of how long they have been targeted with accusations of insufficient patriotism. It was particularly acute in the years following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and into the Iraq War, when anyone who raised questions about the unfolding disaster of American foreign policy was liable to be told they hated America and were siding with “the terrorists.” 

Which makes it all the more heartening to see an all-American guy like Tim Walz make a plea for a different kind of patriotism. At the end of his speech, Walz implored Democrats to work hard in the remaining time before the election. “That’s how we make America a place where no child is left hungry,” he said. “Where no community is left behind. Where nobody gets told they don’t belong.” If he and Harris keep emphasizing that this vision of inclusiveness, care and common fate is at the heart of patriotism, they might just convince a few people that it’s about more than whether you hug a flag.

Paul Waldman is a journalist and author whose writing has appeared in dozens of publications. He writes  The Cross Section , a newsletter about politics and culture, and co-hosts the "Boundary Issues" podcast. His latest book is "White Rural Rage: The Threat to American Democracy."

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Your audience is filled with Republicans. The Democratic convention is underway. How to cover it?

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.,speaks during the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks during the Democratic National Convention, Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Former President Barack Obama speaks during the Democratic National Convention Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Rep. Jamie Raskin D-Md., speaks during the Democratic National Convention Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

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The Democratic convention presents Fox News Channel with a delicate challenge: how to cover a party suddenly enthused about its election chances when much of the network’s audience has a different political viewpoint.

During the Democrats’ first two days, Fox personalities called the proceedings “boring” and filled with “a lot of hate.” There was a focus on demonstrations outside the arena while many of the speakers inside went unheard on the air. Presidential nominee Kamala Harris was given nicknames like “the princess” and “comrade Kamala.”

“We’re at the DNC,” Sean Hannity quipped, “so you don’t have to be.”

It’s Day 3 of the DNC, and there are 75 days until Election Day. Here’s what to know:

• The parents of a 23-year-old American taken hostage by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel gave a speech Wednesday, pleading for the release of the dozens of people who continue to be held captive in Gaza .
• Takeaways: The Democratic National Convention barreled into its third day with a lineup featuring former President Bill Clinton and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as the closer .
• In photos: Delegates descended on Chicago after a topsy-turvy few weeks for their party. A visual look at the 2024 DNC .
• Live updates: Follow The AP’s live coverage and analysis from the 2024 Democratic National Convention .

Fox’s telecast illustrated the challenges inherent in covering news events on networks that are filled with both breaking news and partisan political talk, sometimes mashed up — where opinion personalities like Hannity, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow and CNN’s Van Jones freely mix with reporters and blur boundaries. During the GOP convention last month, the liberal-leaning MSNBC cut off Nikki Haley in favor of a discussion about how she debased herself, and ignored Ron DeSantis entirely.

The feel-good Republican gathering gave Fox News the biggest convention audience ever for a cable network, a feat at a time when millions of Americans are pulling the plug on subscriptions, and a staggering audience of 10.4 million people for the opening moments of former President Donald Trump’s acceptance speech, the Nielsen company said.

No one expects such numbers this week for Fox, where roughly two-thirds of the audience in a 2024 Nielsen/MRI study called themselves Republican. Fox’s audience has shown a marked tendency to tune away from news that doesn’t reflect its beliefs, such as the Jan. 6 committee hearings.

Fox had 2.5 million viewers for Monday’s DNC coverage, 1.7 million on Tuesday — the latter sixth among networks covering it. Fox was the most-watched network for both of the first two nights of the GOP session a month ago, with 6.9 million on opening night and 5.4 million on the second night.

Not mincing words

Hosts on “The Five,” Fox’s most-watched show, were nothing if not direct in setting the stage for the Democrats’ week. “You can’t believe anything the Democrats tell you,” Jesse Watters said. “Everything is a lie. ... There is no joy here. The only joy is that Joe’s gone.”

Watters said “no one believes” that the economy is good, or that polls showing Harris rapidly making up ground against Trump since replacing Biden at the top of the ticket are real. Later Monday evening, Watters declared the event boring, saying “this is like a convention your boss makes you go to.” Hannity described the convention as “far-left radical protesters outside and manufactured unity, deception and lying inside.”

Fox hosts uniformly rejected the Democrats’ interpretation that Biden had committed a selfless act by giving up his reelection bid and called the president’s appearance on Monday more humiliating than valedictory. “You had to wrestle this job away from him like it was car keys from a drunk,” said Greg Gutfeld, who called former President Barack Obama the “Barack-stabber.”

Harris was depicted as an inexperienced, risky choice. Onscreen messages, or chyrons, during Laura Ingraham’s show drove home the point: “Dems Overconfident in Their Unproven Backup,” read one. Others: “Kamala’s All Vibe, No Substance” and “Comrade Kamala Fails Econ 101.”

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“This is like booking tickets on the Titanic,” analyst Keith Kellogg said.

During most of Hannity’s show on Tuesday, an onscreen camera was focused on a nonviolent protest outside of the convention. “The convention has been full of a lot of hate,” Hannity said, “instead of the politics of joy, which you’ve been promised.”

Who made it and who didn’t

Fox News has made room for Democrats willing to come on its shows this week for interviews, including Harris campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingel and U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly. Fox said it has seen a 40% increase in bookings of Democrats compared with last year, and that its sister business network presents full coverage of convention speeches.

Fox says it has the same footprint on the ground for the DNC in Chicago as it did for the Republican convention in Chicago last month. It rejects the notion that it is unwilling to show the Democrats’ point of view.

Fox carried Biden’s speech in its entirety Monday night, as well as some other moments including Harris’ short, surprise address, which occurred during Hannity’s show. Both Barack and Michelle Obama were carried on Tuesday night. Speeches by Hillary Clinton and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — both deeply unpopular with many in Fox’s audience — were also carried in full. Fox’s Dana Perino said Ocasio-Cortez made a great speech, “but it didn’t make any sense.”

Fox anchor Bret Baier praised both Obamas, saying the former first lady “had an amazing speech that got this crowd on their feet.” Lawrence Jones, “Fox & Friends” co-host, said Wednesday that “no matter how inspirational they are, no matter how good the cadence is on the stage, you can’t dip BS in gold and expect the American people to buy it.”

Several podium appearances covered elsewhere went unheard on Fox News Channel: Olympics basketball coach Steve Kerr, UAW President Shawn Fain, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth. Fox analyst Brit Hume complained that a group of women who talked about abortion policy did Biden a disservice by going on too long — even though the network did not follow their remarks.

Tim Graham, director of media analysis for the conservative Media Research Center, said Fox programs to its audience in much the same way that Nicolle Wallace and Rachel Maddow say they won’t show Trump because of concerns that he’ll lie, “but it’s because they don’t want to watch it.”

Brian Stelter, author of “Network of Lies: The Epic Saga of Fox News, Donald Trump and the Battle for American Democracy,” said that while Fox News Channel recognized the news importance of the convention, he saw it as reluctant to give its viewers an unvarnished view of what was being said.

“Fox did very little listening and a lot of talking,” he said.

Interestingly, there was an effort by the campaigns Monday to reach beyond friendly territory: The Harris campaign ran a commercial on Fox, while Trump advertised on CNN.

Fox has been particularly sensitive about not threatening audience loyalty. Concerns about its audience’s anger with Fox following coverage of the 2020 presidential election were cited in evidence presented by Dominion Voting Systems in its defamation suit against Fox. That suit was settled when Fox agreed to pay $787 million.

David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at http://twitter.com/dbauder .

Members of the Kennedy family denounce RFK Jr.'s decision to endorse Trump

WASHINGTON — Multiple members of the Kennedy family denounced Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s decision to endorse former President Donald Trump, calling the move a "betrayal."

"We want an America filled with hope and bound together by a shared vision of a brighter future, a future defined by individual freedom, economic promise and national pride," said a statement signed by five of the former independent presidential candidate's siblings.

"We believe in Harris and Walz," the statement continued. "Our brother Bobby's decision to endorse Trump today is a betrayal of the values that our father and our family hold most dear. It is a sad ending to a sad story."

The statement includes signatures from Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Courtney Kennedy, Kerry Kennedy, Chris Kennedy and Rory Kennedy.

Joe Kennedy III, a grandson of Robert F. Kennedy, reacted to the statement, sharing it on X and writing that it was "well said."

Separately, the former candidate's cousin Jack Schlossberg said that he has "never been less surprised in my life."

"Been saying it for over a year — RFKjr is for sale, works for Trump. Bedfellows and loving it," he posted to X. "Kamala Harris is for the people — the easiest decision of all time just got easier."

Schlossberg is the grandson of former President John F. Kennedy.

Many members of the Kennedy family have been publicly critical of the independent's presidential bid, instead vocalizing their support for first President Joe Biden and now Harris.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Friday that he would withdraw from the presidential race and back Trump. However, he said that he would only remove his name from the ballot in "about 10 battleground states where my presence would be a spoiler." He encouraged voters in states where he remains on the ballot to still support him.

"These are the principled causes that persuaded me to leave the Democratic Party and run as an independent, and now to throw my support to President Trump," he said during his Friday remarks. "The causes were: Free speech, the war in Ukraine, and the war on our children."

Harris campaign chair Jen O'Malley Dillon said in a statement that the Harris campaign is for "any American out there who is tired of Donald Trump and looking for a new way forward."

"Even if we do not agree on every issue, Kamala Harris knows there is more that unites us than divides us: respect for our rights, public safety, protecting our freedoms, and opportunity for all," she said in a bid to attract Kennedy supporters.

Megan Lebowitz is a politics reporter for NBC News.