Inside Apple's Super Bowl commercial legacy: How tech company changed advertising forever

Apple recently expanded its business relationship with the NFL. The tech juggernaut company is now the official sponsor of the annual Super Bowl halftime show, taking over for Pepsi after a decade of sponsorship. Investing in the Super Bowl has proven to be one of the most profitable business ventures out there: massive viewership is basically guaranteed every year.

The Super Bowl is not only the most watched sporting event of every single season, it's often the most viewed television program of each year, regardless of the category. Several of the most-watched programs in television history are a part of the Super Bowl's 57-year history. This is why Apple has decided to increase their involvement with the NFL's annual finale.

Apple has first-hand experience with this concept. They have been advertising with the Super Bowl for nearly 40 years worth of purchasing commercial time. This is the most sought-after, and in turn most expensive, advertising spot on all television. Companies spend millions of dollars on just a 30 second commercial spot because of the guaranteed massive amount of views.

The iconic technology company has been a pioneer for Super Bowl commercials. In addition to being around for nearly 40 years, they have also often been credited with having the most memorable commercial in the game's history. It was also their first ever Super Bowl commercial that holds this distinction. It was also named after the year they released it in 1984.

Apple's 1984 is still one of the best Super Bowl commercials in NFL history

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1984 is considered by many to be the greatest commercial ever released during any Super Bowl in NFL history. It aired for 60 seconds as the first commercial following the conclusion of the first half of Super Bowl XVIII when the Las Vegas Raiders defeated Washington.

The 1984 commercial is based on the novel "1984" written by George Orwell. According to Mac World, "the commercial’s bleak, dystopian imagery struck a chord during an era of populist conservatism and the Cold War." Legendary director Ridley Scott is credited with directing the iconic commercial. He's best known for popular science fiction movies, including "Blade Runner" and "Alien". Apple clearly went all out in their funding and production for this commercial.

The reported goal of the commercial and purchasing advertising time during the Super Bowl was to raise awareness for their new Macintosh computer that was on the verge of being released. The computer was never mentioned in the commercial itself, but its massive viewership made Apple a household name for the impression the commercial made on the audience.

The buzz they generated by airing it resulted in the company significantly increasing their sales and becoming a household for the general public. It set a prime example as to why it's worth the hefty price tag to take out an ad during the Super Bowl. Apple has followed up 1984 with three additional commercials over the years.

While the upcoming commercials may not have left the same lasting impact as arguably the greatest commercial in Super Bowl history, they have all helped the successful company in their own way. If they weren't helping drive their business, it's unlikely they would have continued to purchase them. It's equally as unlikely that they would have taken the next step forward to become the main sponsor for the halftime show.

Apple's Super Bowl commercials since the epic 1984 release

It didn't take long for Apple to dive back into the Super Bowl commercial world. The next year during Super Bowl XIX, when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Miami Dolphins, they purchased another advertisement. They were well aware of the major beneficial impact that 1984 brought them. They understandably tried to put together a repeat performance.

Apple released "Lemmings" this year to promote Macintosh Office, their new software for the computer model they released in 1984. They went a similar route to their director's choice, hiring Tony Scott, Ridley Scott's brother. While they took a similar direction, "Lemmings" didn't have nearly the same positive impact as 1984.

The general consensus seemed to suggest that the commercial was too depressing, rather than the moving effect that 1984 had. Apple reportedly went to great lengths to market the commercial, purchasing ad space in newspapers to make the public aware of it before it aired. They drew in a crowd to see it, but it's generally considered a flop, especially compared to 1984.

The relative miss of "Lemmings" led the company to take a long break before purchasing another Super Bowl commercial. They waited nearly 15 years, while coming up with a new strategy for their content during the big games. They came back in 1999 during Super Bowl XXXIII. The game featured the Denver Broncos defeating the Atlanta Falcons, while their commercial featured HAL.

HAL is a robot from Stanley Kubrick's mega-popular "2001: A Space Odyssey". This commercial was released at an appropriate time in 1999, when much of the world was terrified by the infamous Y2K threat. Apple played on this concept, using their commercials to show that the Mac computer would be immune to Y2K. It was a brilliant marketing strategy that put them back on the right track during Super Bowl commercials.

Apple took one last dive into Super Bowl commercials in 2004. It technically wasn't a commercial for their own company, but they partnered with Pepsi to announce their partnership with iTunes, their popular music sercive. The commercial titled, "I Fought the Law," aired during Super Bowl XXXVIII when the New England Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers.

This commercial is considered a massive success for the company. It brough a ton of attention to the iTunes Music Store, which was brand new and less than a year old at the time. iTunes went on to become a major success in the tech world and still today, nearly 20 years later.

"I Fought the Law" was the last time that Apple featured a new commercial during any Super Bowl. About two decades later, the company is back to being a focus of the big game, but this time it's not for commercials. They will sponsor the haltime show for the first time, featuring Rihanna as their inaugural headliner.