High Impact: Apple's 1984 Superbowl Commercial

Few advertisers ever achieve what Apple pulled off in 1984. Keep in mind that the above spot only ran once. Ever. During the Superbowl in 1984. Prices for a thirty second commercial running during the biggest event of the year have gone only in one direction as long as I can remember - up. Lately, they've been somewhere in the three million dollar range. That is one-hundred thousand dollars per second.

If you are a Marketing or Advertising Director, you better think twice if you have the material or the story to make a high impact during the Superbowl. If you are planning to run your average commercial, you'd be better off taking your employees on a trip to the Caribbean, or you'll just be one of many that won't be remembered.

If, on the other hand, you plan to leave your mark in Advertising history, go for it. The money is well spent, as this might actually be the only day in the year where people are looking forward to the advertising. Expectations are high, and you better deliver. Apple did it successfully back then, and a few years ago, GoDaddy did it in their special way. They came out of nowhere, made a big splash, and they are still around this day. The domain for this blog was actually bought via GoDaddy.