Steve Jobs was desperate. Honestly, that’s the only way to describe Apple in 1997. The company was bleeding cash, hemorrhaging market share, and about ninety days away from total bankruptcy. When Jobs returned to the company he co-founded, he didn't start by launching a revolutionary new phone or a sleek laptop. He started with an idea. He started with the Apple Think Different ad campaign.
It wasn't just about selling computers. It was about survival.
Most people remember the black-and-white photos of Albert Einstein or Mahatma Gandhi. They remember the haunting, rhythmic narration of the "Crazy Ones" poem. But behind the scenes, the campaign was a high-stakes gamble orchestrated by TBWA\Chiat\Day, specifically creative director Rob Siltanen and CEO Lee Clow. Jobs initially hated the "Crazy Ones" script. He thought it was "crap" and "screaming self-indulgence." But he eventually realized it was exactly the brand's soul that had been lost during his absence.
The Reality Behind the Apple Think Different Ad Campaign
The campaign officially debuted on September 28, 1997. It was everywhere. Billboards, magazine spreads, and that iconic 60-second television spot.
What’s fascinating is that the ads didn't show a single product. Not one. No technical specs about the PowerBook or the beige boxes Apple was selling at the time. Instead, it focused on the "misfits" and "rebels." By aligning Apple with the greatest minds of the 20th century—folks like Jim Henson, Amelia Earhart, and Martin Luther King Jr.—Jobs was telling the world that using a Mac wasn't just a choice of hardware. It was a declaration of identity.
It worked. Boy, did it work. Within a year, Apple's stock price tripled.
Not Everyone Was a Fan
It's easy to look back with rose-colored glasses, but the Apple Think Different ad campaign faced real criticism. Some journalists called it arrogant. They wondered how a computer company had the gall to compare itself to someone like Rosa Parks or John Lennon. It felt like "stolen valor" to a segment of the public.
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But the target audience? They felt seen. For the first time in a decade, Apple felt cool again. It felt like the underdog fighting against the "beige wall" of Windows PCs.
The "Crazy Ones" Script Mystery
There’s a common misconception that Steve Jobs wrote the famous "Here’s to the crazy ones" speech. He didn't. While Jobs made significant edits and voiced a version that was never used (the aired version featured Richard Dreyfuss), the heavy lifting was done by Craig Tanimoto, Rob Siltanen, and Ken Segall.
Tanimoto actually came up with the concept while looking at a silhouette of Mickey Mouse. He thought about how other brands were doing "brand-plus-product" ads. He wanted something different. He drew a box, put Einstein in it, and wrote "Think Different" next to the logo. The grammar was intentionally "wrong." Critics said it should be "Think Differently." Jobs disagreed. He wanted "Different" to function as a noun, like "think victory" or "think big."
It was a subtle linguistic middle finger to the status quo.
Why the Message Stuck
Marketing usually focuses on the "what" and the "how." Apple focused on the "why."
By 1997, Apple’s products were actually kind of a mess. The line was bloated. They had dozens of confusing models. Jobs famously slashed the product line by 70%, but he needed the Apple Think Different ad campaign to buy him time while he developed the iMac G3. The campaign gave the engineers a reason to be proud again. It gave the customers a reason to wait.
- The Power of Association: By using high-contrast, black-and-white imagery, Apple created an aesthetic of timelessness.
- The Misfit Identity: Everyone wants to feel like a rebel, even if they're just an accountant in a cubicle.
- Minimalism: The lack of clutter in the ads mirrored the simplicity Jobs wanted to bring back to the software.
Honestly, the campaign was basically a manifesto. It was Apple telling the world, "We aren't dead yet."
Lessons for Modern Branding
If you're looking at the Apple Think Different ad campaign as a blueprint for your own business or project, you have to understand the nuance. You can't just slap a picture of a genius on your website and call it a day.
First, authenticity is everything. Apple could pull this off because their products actually were different from the PC world. If you're selling the same thing as everyone else, this kind of "rebel" marketing will feel fake. Second, timing matters. Apple was at rock bottom. They had nothing to lose.
What Most People Get Wrong
People think "Think Different" was the slogan forever. It actually only ran until 2002, when the "Switch" campaign started. But its shadow is long. Every Apple keynote today, every minimalist retail store, every "Shot on iPhone" billboard is a direct descendant of that 1997 pivot.
It shifted Apple from a "computer company" to a "lifestyle and philosophy brand." That transition is what allowed them to eventually sell phones, watches, and services without anyone batting an eye.
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Actionable Takeaways from the Think Different Era
If you want to apply the spirit of this campaign to your own work, stop focusing on features. Start focusing on the people who use your work.
- Identify your "Antagonist": For Apple, it was the boring, corporate status quo. Who or what is your brand fighting against?
- Simplify your visual language: The Apple Think Different ad campaign succeeded because it was visually quiet in a noisy world. Remove the "noise" from your messaging.
- Find your "Why": Why does your project exist? If you can't answer that without mentioning a product feature, you haven't gone deep enough.
- Embrace the "Grammar" of your Niche: Sometimes, being technically "incorrect" (like "Think Different" vs "Think Differently") makes you more memorable. Don't be afraid of a little friction.
The legacy of this campaign isn't just a bunch of cool posters. It’s the proof that a clear, bold vision can literally save a company from the brink of death. It wasn't just marketing; it was a corporate resurrection.
To truly understand the impact, look at where Apple stands today. They are no longer the underdog. They are the "Big Brother" they once mocked in their 1984 commercial. This creates a weird tension in their modern marketing. How do you "Think Different" when you are the standard? That’s the challenge Apple faces now, but the foundation laid in 1997 remains the most successful brand turnaround in history.
Next Steps for Implementation:
Analyze your current brand messaging. Identify three "heroes" in your industry or community who embody the values you want to project. Instead of talking about what you do, draft a "manifesto" that describes the world you want to create for these heroes. This exercise forces you out of the technical weeds and into the emotional core of your brand, mirroring the shift Jobs forced upon Apple in those early, desperate days of 1997.