ABSTRACT
As millions of viewers paused for half-time on Super Bowl Sunday, a 60-second drama unfolded on their television screens. Here’s how it played out:
The first American commercial to win the Grand Prix at Cannes and recipient of 34 national and international advertising awards, 1984 is recognized as the commercial that out-played the game.1 Football excitement did not deter the audience from understanding the message intended by the sponsor: “The Macintosh is now available at your local computer store and you should rush out tomorrow and buy one.” The drama moved over 200,000 of those viewers to purchase a Macintosh the next day, its first day on the market (Scott, 1991). But did viewers also receive the implied meaning that suggested a battle between David (Apple) and Goliath (IBM)? Did they understand what Apple’s announcer meant when he said, “1984 wouldn’t be like 1984?”
