DaveNet: Sunday, September 28, 1997; by Dave Winer.
Steve Jobs on Brands
This email was sent by Steve Jobs, sjobs@apple.com, on Friday, to all Apple employees. I received it from several sources. It refers to the new commercial that Apple will be running on tonight's airing of Toy Story.Steve Jobs on Brands
I am very pleased to announce that Apple is launching its first brand advertising campaign in several years.
Apple has one of the best brands in the world - right up there with Nike, Disney, Coke, Sony. Even so, a brand needs caring and investment if it is to sustain its effectiveness, vitality and relevance over time. In this regard, the Apple brand has suffered from neglect in recent years. It's time to change this. Customers want and need to know who Apple is and what Apple stands for.
This campaign communicates exactly that. It celebrates the soul of the Apple brand - the passionate desire to change the world for the better. And the dedication of our company to make the best tools in the world for those who have this passion. In honoring those who have changed the world, it touches and rekindles the spirit of all that is great within Apple and its partners and customers.
The theme of the campaign is "Think Different", and it's the first work by Apple and Chiat/Day in over a decade. Our previous collaboration produced many award winning ads, including the now-legendary 1984, voted the best ad of all time by advertising professionals.
The campaign begins with a sixty second commercial which will run twice during the network premier of "Toy Story" on ABC's "Wonderful World of Disney" this Sunday evening from 7:00 - 9:00 pm. Our commercial will appear once during the first twenty minutes of the first hour and once again during the second hour. After this Sunday, we will take a one week break and then run the commercial during the rest of October. In addition, we will be extending this campaign with incredible print ads and outdoor billboards beginning in mid-October. We will provide a media schedule for the television and print ads so you can watch for them.
This marketing campaign is the beginning. It will let our customers know that Apple is coming back, and returning to the core values which made it great. And as the coming months unfold, our customers will learn that Apple itself is thinking differently - in its products, its manufacturing, its distribution. In the partnerships it forms. And in its new attitude of renewed momentum and confidence.
Apple's core value - that people with passion can change the world for the better, in large and small ways, is as relevant and unique today as it ever was. This campaign is very emotional for me. I hope you love it as much as I do.