We love all things Apple. Their hardware forms the lifeblood of the creative industries. The relationship is almost irrational. Perfect form, articulate and engaging software and that wow factor. They have, however, in recent times lost market share and ground to Samsung, Google and other progressive tech brands and apps. Does this mean the Apple lovers are considering the other fruits more worthy? Some think so. To recognise this Oi, one of the Channel Islands’ most progressive marketing communications agencies, has sent an imaginative direct mail piece to the Board of Apple encouraging them to run another ‘Think different’ advertising campaign.
Many people will remember Apple’s 1997 ‘Think different’ advertising campaign, especially the ‘Crazy Ones’, which were one-minute television commercials featuring black-and-white footage of seventeen iconic 20th century personalities – Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, Martin Luther King, Jr., Richard Branson, John Lennon (with Yoko Ono), Buckminster Fuller, Thomas Edison, Muhammad Ali, Ted Turner, Maria Callas, Mahatma Gandhi, Amelia Earhart, Alfred Hitchcock, Martha Graham, Jim Henson (with Kermit the Frog), Frank Lloyd Wright and Pablo Picasso.
Another early example of Apple’s ‘Think different’ advertising was in 1998, months before taking the colours out of the logo, where a commercial aired with a snail carrying an Intel Pentium II chip on its back moving slowly, as the Power Macintosh G3 claimed that it was twice as fast as Intel’s Pentium II Processor.
The team at Oi felt Apple needed to bring back a strong brand positioning campaign, so decided to create a direct mail piece to send to the Board of Apple – to see if they would take note. They sourced 8 of the original RAM chips used in the Apple I computer, then instructed a specialist company to produce large, square glass paper weights – each with one of the chips suspended inside. The agency had the Apple logo engraved on it with the words ‘Think different’ below.
The Oi team, headed by Senior Creative James Carter and including Managing Director Peter Grange (pictured above), then designed a white, matt laminated box packaging (the same as Apple packaging) with the Apple logo embossed in silver and the words ‘iRemember’ below. This housed the glass paperweight and went inside a white padded package. Labels were attached with the names and addresses of Apple’s Board including CEO Tim Cook, President of Design Sir Jonathan Ive, Al Gore Chairman of the Board as well as the Marketing Director.
‘We have a strong view on this and wanted to see if we could share our thoughts using a smart thinking direct marketing campaign,’ said Peter Grange, Oi Managing Director.
The leaflet inside the packaging, designed to mirror the current Apple welcome/instruction guides is personalised for each team member. The message to Tim Cook reads as follows…
iRemember 1997. The square pegs. The round holes. Apple’s first ‘Think different’ advertising campaign was bold, brave and empowered people. It was a masterpiece in showing how challenger brands should behave. It changed everything.
Design is beautiful but we believe people who now buy Apple products also love how you think differently to other technology companies to provide a unique, interconnected-digital-ecosystem. A creative, beautifully designed, innovative eco-system that provides people with endless possibilities and opportunities.
Your marketing campaigns have become very product focused and we believe it is time for another great Apple brand positioning campaign. A campaign that reinforces your founding philosophy and helps you move away from the ongoing marketing battles with competitors over design, price and patent activity. We believe it is time to tell the world about the core of Apple.
The ‘Think different’ advertising campaign idea could show the world why Apple really is different and use your URL www.thinkdifferent.com to reinforce how with Apple you can have a more fulfilling life. You can embrace it, change it, improve it, make your mark upon it. Once you experience an Apple, you’ll never be the same again.
The copy ends with a call to action.
Oi recently sent out the direct mail items by recorded delivery.
‘Hopefully our thinking will get to the influencers and decision makers at Apple. Maybe they’ll take note. Maybe they won’t. Time will tell. It’s been fun working on the mini-campaign. And if people are reading this then we’ve got some good PR in doing so,’ added Mr Grange.
Need help with a direct marketing or advertising campaign, contact Oi in Jersey on 01534 888186 or Guernsey on 01481 716606.
