Think different

"Think different" was a special phrase used by the company Apple in advertisements from 1997 to 2002. It was created by an advertising team in Los Angeles at the agency TBWA\Chiat\Day. Many people thought this phrase was Apple’s way of answering another famous phrase, “Think,” which was used by a big company named IBM.

The phrase appeared in many places: on TV ads, in printed ads, and in special promotions for Apple products. Even today, you can still see “Think different” printed on the back of some Apple computer boxes, like the iMac. This idea encouraged people to be creative and see things in new ways.

Development

In 1983, Apple made a famous advertisement for the Super Bowl. The ad was made by an advertising company called Chiat\Day. Later, in 1997, Apple wanted a new campaign. The slogan “We’re back” was suggested, but Steve Jobs didn’t like it. He wanted something better.

Jobs asked three advertising agencies for ideas. Chiat\Day was one of them. The slogan “Think different” was created by Craig Tanimoto, an art director at Chiat\Day. Steve Jobs wanted the word “different” to stand alone, like saying “think victory” or “think beauty.” He worked hard to get famous people to appear in the ads, calling families and friends to ask for help. The commercial was narrated by Richard Dreyfuss, even though Jobs had wanted to narrate it himself. The campaign helped people see Apple in a new way.

Formats

Television

Short versions of a special ad script were used in two television advertisements. These ads were directed by Jennifer Golub from the company Chiat\Day.

The one-minute ad showed black-and-white pictures of famous people from the 1900s, including Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, Martin Luther King Jr., and Richard Branson. The ad ended with a little girl opening her eyes, as if making a wish.

A shorter, thirty-second version of the ad used some of the same people but ended with Jerry Seinfeld instead of the girl. This version was shown only once, during the last episode of Seinfeld.

Print

Print ads for the campaign appeared in big magazines like Newsweek and Time. These ads often showed Apple computers or gadgets with the slogan "Think different."

There were also print ads that focused more on Apple's brand image. These ads showed pictures of famous people who changed the world, with the words "Think different" and a small Apple logo. Some of these people included Jimi Hendrix, Richard Clayderman, Miles Davis, and Cesar Chavez.

Posters

Apple made a few posters in large sizes. These posters showed pictures of famous people, with the Apple logo and the words "Think different." Some posters also had the full script of the ad.

There were at least 29 different "Think different" posters made. They were grouped into sets featuring different people, such as Amelia Earhart, Alfred Hitchcock, Pablo Picasso, and Mahatma Gandhi. Some sets were never officially released because of licensing problems.

In 2000, Apple created a special set of ten smaller posters called The Educators Set. These were sent to schools and included pictures of people like Albert Einstein, Jane Goodall, and James Watson.

During a special event in 1998, Apple gave out a book to employees. This book had a message from Steve Jobs, the full script of the "Think different" ad, and pictures of many of the posters.

Reception and influence

When the "Think different" campaign was first shown, it became a big success for Apple and the advertising company TBWA\Chiat\Day. The advertisements were praised by experts and won many awards, such as the 1998 Emmy Award for Best Commercial and the 2000 Grand Effie Award for the best campaign in America.

Looking back, this new advertising campaign helped Apple grow stronger again. Before this, Apple had lost some of its popularity because computers from the Wintel ecosystem were cheaper, had more software, and faster CPUs. Apple also faced problems with the Apple Newton, a expensive project that did not do well. The "Think different" campaign, along with Steve Jobs returning to the company, helped bring back Apple’s exciting image. This success led to the very popular iMac computer and later the Mac OS X (now called macOS) operating system.

The campaign was even made fun of in a hidden joke, or "easter egg," in the movie Monsters, Inc., where a magazine cover read "Scare Different."

Revivals

Since late 2009, Apple has used the phrase "Think different" on iMac computer boxes to keep its trademark active. This means Apple needs to show that it still uses the phrase to keep its legal rights to it.

Apple has also hidden parts of the "Crazy Ones" message in different places inside its macOS computer system. This includes special images for programs like TextEdit, Notes, and in the Finder tool. Some emojis in Apple's emoji font also include parts of this famous message. The phrase was also heard in a movie about Steve Jobs and mentioned in another film about him.