“It may be the most stunning and creative attack ad yet for a 2008 presidential candidate — one experts say could represent a watershed moment in 21st century media and political advertising,” Carla Marinucci reports for The San Francisco Chronicle. “Yet the groundbreaking 74-second pitch for Democratic Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, which remixes the classic “1984” ad that introduced Apple computers to the world, is not on cable or network TV, but on the Internet.”
“And Obama’s campaign says it had absolutely nothing to do with the video that attacks one of his principal Democratic rivals, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Indeed, the ad’s creator is a mystery, at least for now,” Marinucci reports.
Hillary 1984 ad:
Marinucci reports, “The compelling ‘Hillary 1984’ video recently introduced on YouTube represents ‘a new era, a new wave of politics … because it’s not about Obama,’ said Peter Leyden, director of the New Politics Institute, a San Francisco-based think tank on politics and new media. ‘It’s about the end of the broadcast era.'”
“But some say the ad is just the latest attempt by outside activists to influence political campaigns — or the newest way for campaigns to anonymously attack their opponents.
The video is a sophisticated new take on director Ridley Scott’s controversial Apple ad that caused shock waves with its premiere during the 1984 Super Bowl, and shows the same blond young female athlete running with a sledgehammer toward a widescreen — where an ominous Big Brother figure drones to a mass of zombielike followers,” Marinucci reports. “But this time, the woman is wearing an iPod — and has her candidate’s slogan on her chest. And the Big Brother — whose image she defiantly smashes with a wave of her sledgehammer — is Clinton, the Democratic presidential front-runner.”
“The tagline for the attack: ‘On Jan. 14, the Democratic primary will begin. And you’ll see why 2008 won’t be like 1984.’ An updated Apple symbol — transformed into an O — is followed by the dramatically emerging logo: BarackObama.com,” Marinucci reports.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: In June 1999, TV Guide ran a cover story on the “50 Greatest Commercials of All Time.” Apple’s “1984” ad was #1 on the list. TV Guide wrote:
“With a single airing during Super Bowl XVIII, ‘1984’ did more to change the way ads are created and viewed than any commercial in years. It was not the most heartwarming spot nor a big laugh getter, but it turned a little-known brand into a household name and set a new commercial standard for production values and cinematic style. ‘1984’ also raised the financial stakes: Apple spent a then-outlandish sum of $400,000 to produce the ad and $500,000 to air it; 15 years later, a minute of Super Bowl time costs $3.2 million. Lee Clow, then executive creative director of Chiat/Day, recalls that ‘1984’ almost debuted during a lowlier college bowl game. ‘We had to make a last-minute switch to the Super Bowl because Apple wanted to air the ad closer to the date when the product would actually be available for sale,’ he says. ‘Funny how something that simple could have changed a big piece of advertising history.”
Did you know that Apple’s “1984” commercial, widely credited with starting the Super Bowl advertising craze, actually aired twice? The actual first airing was on a small U.S. local station — KMVT-TV (Twin Falls, Idaho) on December 15, 1983 in the 1:00am sign-off slot — in order for the spot to qualify for 1983 advertising awards.
Apple remastered the famous spot to incorporate an iPod and showed it at MacWorld Expo in January 2004. “We couldn’t resist,” said Apple CEO Steve Jobs:
Related articles:
Apple’s ‘1984’ commercial named best Super Bowl ad ever – February 01, 2007
Great, let them destroy each other.
Apple attorneys start your engines!
It actually the remake of that commercial from 2004.
“ron: Great, let them destroy each other.”
I guess that means we’ll have to vote for “none of the above”, since the other side has destroyed it’s credibility as well. Special interests and corporations run the US, not the silent majority unfortunately.
Still love the advert. It was too ahead of its time. I would run it again only with Steve Ballmer’s face on it. Now that would be scary!
they’re going to think he’s gay with the multi colored logo!
Courtesy of FFMPEGX and Democracy I now have copy of the file.
(one minute later)
Courtesy of OSX’s trash can I have now deleted the file. Still, it’s an interesting look at where technology is taking us.
The logo is all wrong. Apple no longer uses the multicolor theme.
MW: Straight, as in, the opposite of gay, as in, the colors of the gay pride flag. Funny.
Flames in 3… 2… 1…
Barack is no better than Clinton. How does a freshman Senator think he is going to be President? Psh! Think Not!
Give me Rudy any day.
I believe that as of this writing former Veep Al Gore is still a Director on Apple, Inc.’s Board. Hmmm. Don’t really know what connection there is, if any at all. Still, Bubba’s probably not too pleased!
Surely an arab did this remake. They are on his side and they are very good at editing.
And now, for another exciting episode of DEMOCRATS EATING THEIR OWN!
Hillary is our next President
somewhere in Texas, a village is missing its idiot
MW: “nations” as in, “One nations under God, invisible, with Liberties and Justice forgone…”
She’s wearin the ‘Pod!
Power corrupts. Bushs mafia clan and his crumbling credibility are a proof that democracy needs change. It now is the democrats turn, four more years of republicans would be VERY bad for the US.
Apple is having that lame ad pulled right now. If you listen closely you can actually hear the mouse clicks over at YouTube as they drag the file to the trash.
Hillary is not a bad egg. She is an opportunist, though, as is Bill. I’d prefer someone who genuinely cares about people – the real people, salt of the Earth, and all that (i.e. not Bush’s ‘Haves & Have Mores’).
MW=behind, as in ‘Perhaps Al Gore is behind this commercial?’
Disappointing. I have no opinion of the candidates or the parties. That’s for another time and place. But what I am appalled at is that one group representing a candidate would so blatantly rip off a brilliant commerical like Apple’s 1984 ad that is not in the public domain. It cheapens the original ad by orders of magnitude. And the doctoring of the original was totally lame. If they were going to rip off the original 1984 commercial, they could have at least done it justice.
There was little imagination. If you want to market your candidate as someone with new ideas, this is NOT the way to do it.
If I were Obama, I’d be PO’d. That some group, whether they were affiliated with his campaign officially or not, would feel the way to represent their candiate was by ripping off private property is pretty lame.
Go Hillary! Make those Bush-whackin’ bunker monkeys buy more guns.
–F*cking chicken hawks…
MW “expected” as in: I expected a less obvious ploy from those chumps.
I guess I’d wish to make a very public disclaimer and apology if I were Obama.
Ripping off other others’ campaigns and ideas is *not unusual* where politicians are concerned, but being tainted by association must be a p.o. for anyone.
Cute though!
“Your Boys’ Blood; My Buddies’ Billions…”–Dick Cheney, King of the Bunker Monkeys
MW “quality” as in: The quality of this administration is unsurpassed.
I jus wanna know, does this mean we can get rid of Obama and Hillary?
That is really shameless, that isn’t creative, they’ve just taken something great and turned it into pathetic election propaganda. Apple’s attorney’s should SUE!!! Although I would like to see a commercial where he shouts “OBAMA BITCH!”
Well, believe it or not, there is this guy, born in Hope, Arkansas, who grew up around there and then became Governor, who is now running for President….
This is blatant plagiarism. Apple should sue the snot out of the idiot who thought this up. Wait, someone like this acutally had a thought?
If this was my work being butchered, I would be calling my own lawyers for multi-million dollar suits. Not only for plagiarism but for libel against the reputation that the original ad stood for.
At least Global PC referenced the commercial, not stole it outright.
It is now tarnished and will forever be.
Well, lets just chime in on this one.
First, lets face it, this is not creative, nor innovative. I would expect better from Microsoft!
Second, to let them (the politicians) use such work to defame each other is also wrong. Lawyers have started to land outside the Obama headquarters as we speak!
Third, I would like to give hope to this up and coming election. America is not lost, nor was she ever! She is not controlled by big money or over see interests. America is OUR country and we should fight for her! We should but aside the pity little difference that we have and do what is best not for you and me, but for the future of this country. Lets take this up and coming election and make a turning point in OUR country’s history. Lets not let the naw-sayers; the want’abe’s and those fat cats in Washington have their way! We, the America people, have just started to take back this country from the over zealot republican’s who have used everything from terrorism to God himself to try to control, manipulate and to just give us FUD over OUR future of America!
Lastly, I just received confirmation that the lawyers have made contact. Hostiles are in site and DTA on squashing all hostile activity is almost here!
whoa… Obama will be lucky if Hillary doesn’t have him killed a la Vinced Foster for this blasphemy. This thing showed up on Drudge last night (the Clinton’s favorite website) so the whole world could have a chuckle at her expense.
Barak is fixin’ to go out… Tarantino-style.
Well, if he does go out, you want your next president to be the one who took him out?
I love my Mac and Apply Computer. I hate politics.
That is just a lame commercial rip-off – regardless of who is being “smashed”. Boring.
Well, yeah, Dick- YouTube is all about rip-offs.
Hillary. Obama. Hillary and Obama as running mates. It doesn’t matter. Who ever wins will have to pick up the pieces from eight years of having a complete idiot in the White House. I’m afraid that the damage might already be too great to be undone.
You want change? – You want to see things get done?- Do you want to finally vote for a president because you like the guy instead of hating the other guy more?
Rudy.
That should be Bill Gates’ picture on the big screen.
“macs are taken over everyday”
“Vista is selling remarkably well”
“Zune is a metaphor for going #2, I mean it’s number 2 in HD based DAP sales”
“everything I say is true”
“It may be the most stunning and creative attack ad yet…”
As a conservative/libertarian, I truly have do dog in this race, but I think the above commentary is idiotic. A recycled Apple commercial with Hillary’s face pasted in rather sloppily is a “stunning and creative attack”?
What am I missing?
The remake obviously was done on a peecee – notice the lack of smart quotes. Classic peecee blunder. Unless it was some goof using a Mac.
MDN word: your, as in the classic peecee user’s lame comment “your a bunch of loser Mac fanboys” (when we Mac fanboys know it should be “you’re.”
Sorry. Forgot to close the parenthesis.
Whoever did this is an idiot or a covert GOP operative. By trashing HC in such an uncreative manner Obama’s side looks sleazy and the demos seem even more fratricidal than they really are.
F-
meh.
unimpressive. who cares. move along.
Justin-
I don’t think you intended to opine that if it wasn’t a Republican then they were an idiot, did you? Maybe I read it sideways…
anyone know who the running girl in the video is and if she has a website?
…yes i know its over 20 years on…but still…theres something about her…
where is the apple legal attack?
is steve jobs an obama fanboy????
Hey, eddie, of course.
Al GORE is on the Apple board. Anything to derail Hillary is okay by Apple.
(Hint: Al is thinking of running again.)
Follow the Rocky Road!
I am upset that the Obama camp is associating themselves with the Apple one. PLEASE leave the two separate. I know that Apple users and fans come from all *intelligent* walks of life but I just can’t stand that we would be associated with One candidate for president. ASEIORNG. It just pisses me off. In my opinion you simply cannot associate something as terrible and hideous as a political campaign with the sheer beauty and perfection that is Apple. (ok I know that my RDF is really big)
Oh my!
“anyone know who the running girl in the video is and if she has a website?”
No website- her name is Anya Major, and she was a real athlete.
The ad was posted anonymously. As it does damage to both Obama and Clinton camps, I’d say it was created by neither.
Also, I doubt Apple would allow their advert to be used in that way. I doubt even extravagant sums fo $$$’s would coerc them, as that ad practically CREATED the company.
So, someone violated copywrite law and posted a video damaging to the democratic front runners, and tainting all democratic candidates, anonymously.
Who on earth would be motivated to do such a thing, I wonder?
The creator of this vid should be tracked down, his/her motives exposed, and then prosecuted to the fullest extent possible.
AA
Why bother looking for facts? Just indict Rove and the far left will be happy!!!
the tracking of the logo on her tshirt is so horrible, you can tell it has been done with Final Cut Pro. It still is one of the 3 or 4 thing Avid does better. Hopefully this will change after NAB…
We might never know if this was a Democrat or Republican-inspired tactic, but I doubt if the ad will have any effect on Clinton’s campaign. From the author’s perspective, she appears to be looming as a freight train on the horizon with the potential to crush his or her favorite candidate.
From the Republican side, Giuliani has his own “attack” to bear in the form of a book. Freakanomics claims Giuliani wasn’t responsible for the drop in crime in New York. The drop was nationwide, and contributing factors were an increase in police (in New York’s case by the outgoing Gov) and a crash in the crack market, but the biggest factor by far was Roe versus Wade – the increase in abortions by women who decided they would’ve made unfit parents.
The crime rate started dropping when the aborted kids would’ve reached their late teens – presumably the start of their crime-committing age. Giuliani in fact fired his chief of police some years after crime started to drop when the newspapers hailed him as the architect of the drop [sic]. Presumably, this one-time effect is now over, and crime has either stabilized or is on the increase.
As you know, nothing is ever as simple as what’s largely believed. To wit, the belief in God, Windows fans, and the election of Bush.
Who is Obama?
FIGURES THAT THAT JUNGLE BUNNY’S ASSCLOWNS HAVE TO STEAL OTHER PEOPLES WORK TO MARKET THAT BIG BAG OF NUTHIN
I wouldn’t be surprised if this is a GOP dirty trick. Right-wing media commentators have already tried to stir up images of a “war” between Obama & Hillary, by lying about Obama and then trying to attribute the lie to Hillary.
Unfettered thinks that Hillary “genuinely cares about people”!!!
Omygosh! What planet did you just return from??
“Give me Rudy any day.”
I’m betting you didn’t live with Rudy as your mayor in pre-9/11 New York City.
Fuck Obama and his copycay unoriginal coat tail grabbing bullshit. If that’s what he’s claiming his “presidency” is going to be all about then good ridance – right now. Sasshole campaign staff should hang in the halls infamy: oh so freakin’ clever – not!!! Especially NOT! (freakin’ jerks).
Tell us somethin good about O, not how unclever he seems to be declaring – massholes!
Bassholes!
Who cares who made (ok, made-over) the “ad?” Who cares how artistically original it is? Here’s something original – how come no one sees the meaning in this co-opted message? Have we all just assumed Hillary is the candidate? Haven’t she and Bill been telling us they’re smarter than the rest of us for some time now – do we take that at face value? ARE WE SHEEP or something?
BE INDEPENDENT, MAKE UP OUR OWN MIND. DARE TO BE INSPIRED, OPTIMISTIC AND PROUD AGAIN! Now, try to find a candidate according to these rules. Only one answer – “Don’t tell mama . . .” (you know the rest). Obama – 08!
Ron Paul for President 2008! Go to http://www.house.gov/paul to learn more about him! Or go to youtube and enter: Ron Paul CNN.
Go America!!!! Stop the war!!!!! Peace on Earth!
Q: Why hasn’t Apple sent a DMCA takedown letter to remove this spot from YouTube?
A: Because Steve Jobs doesn’t like the Clintons. And it’s good free publicity for Apple.
The thing I find the most troubling about this ad campaign is the similarity it has with the ads attacking Kerry’s war record and service history during the Bush Candicacy. Both are supposedly sponsored by a 3rd party group of supporters which in both instances seems to absolve thier respective candidates of all responsibility. I didn’t believe Bush when he denied his complicity, and I will not believe O’Bama should he attempt to do the same. I understand wanting to win but where is the line drawn, and at what cost? I, for one, was looking forward to (as much as anyone can)the absence of Bushnegative behavior for the next elections, but it would seem that O’Bama has taken a page right out of the republican play book. It’s not enough to run a respectable campaign anymore and gone are the days when an honest candidate could promise support for issues, and outline thier plan for success. If O’Bama plans to continue with the bush style tactics then I could never vote for him. To do so would advocating my support something I am totally against.
which remixes the classic “1984” ad that introduced Apple computers to the world
The “1984” ad introduced Macintosh, not Apple Computers. Apple has been around since 1976, 8 years before the “1984” commercial.
that was neither inspiring nor cleaver.
i support obama and hillary in their very difficult job of talking and inspiring people to change the direction of this country to something more progressive, sustaining and positive.
Beware of Big Brother? Look out for his bitchy sister!
Forget my last post. Apparently, Big Brother is a drag queen.
Wow, Mac and Windows tech zealots mixed in with Democrat and Republican political zealots are not a good combination…