In the late 1990s and early 2000s, part of Apple’s print advertising included magazine inserts. Some inserts were “mini-magazines” within magazines and others, like this example, was a fold-out poster. These inserts were glued with a pliable rubber cement that could be easily removed.
This example is an advertisement for the Power Mac G4 Cube. As the ad unfolds (literally), the cover shows a photo of the G4 Cube with the caption “(Hint: It’s a computer.).” The first unfold (2-up) reveals, “Actually, it’s a supercomputer” with five short paragraphs touting the Cube’s size and power. The second unfold (4-up) has the headline “So much technology. So little space.” and shows connections, features, and peripherals available for use with the Cube. Fully unfolded (8-up), a poster is revealed that declares, “Presenting the Power Mac G4 Cube. Actual size. Think different.” The back of the fully folded insert is another view of the G4 Cube with three available displays and the headline “A marvel of engineering. And economics.”
Folded, the size of the insert is 7.3125 x 10.125 inches. Fully unfolded (into 8 panels) the size is 29.25 x 20.25 inches.
I also have a poster version (rolled in a tube) of the fully unfolded image used in this ad (at 24 x 36 inches).
This set includes five magazine spreads printed on 18 x 14.1875 paper and laminated. Each magazine spread is labeled at bottom-center with “TBWA CHIAT/DAY INC. LA” (Apple’s ad agency at the time) and a code number. The spreads feature slot-loading iMac computers and one features the tangerine iBook.
Q200-99-P2618AO features the tangerine iBook with the tagline “iMac to go.” (1999)
Q200-99-3172A features the lime slot-loading iMac with the tagline “And the award for Best Home Movie goes to…” (1999)
Q200-99-3502A features the grape slot-loading iMac with the tagline “Baywatch Baby” (2000)
Q200-99-P3739A features the tangerine slot-loading iMac with the tagline “Rock‘n Roll Machine” (2000)
Q200-99-P3740A features the lime slot-loading iMac with the tagline “Leapin’ Lizards.” (2000)
The iBook magazine spread introduces the iBook laptop and touts its built-in 56K modem as “the world’s easiest path to the Internet.”
All iMac magazine spreads feature slot-loading iMac models and DV camcorders with “Desktop Video” or “Desktop Movies.” Apple mentions the iMovie app in three of the four ads, but the main purpose of the ads is to show the ease of using the iMac to create videos, a relatively cumbersome task before Apple introduced FireWire and iMovie.
Unfortunately, I have no idea where I acquired these magazine spreads. I’m not now—nor have ever been—in the publishing, printing, or advertising business. If anyone has additional history on these, I’d appreciate it!
I remember picking up this catalog at an Apple Store in 2004. It is large for a catalog at 11 x 17 inches and is printed on heavy matte paper. Each spread features “lifestyle” photos of people using then-current Apple products in everyday settings. Each product is then described in detail including features, uses, and available peripherals. Full-page “case studies” from regular people using the products in real life are also included.
The first product featured is iPod. The 2004 models included iPod with scroll wheel (with a monochrome display), iPod Photo (color display), and iPod mini (monochrome display and available in four colors).
The next spread highlights the iMac G5. These were Apple’s second flat-panel iMac models that were available with 17 or 20-inch “widescreen flat panel” displays. The iLife apps are mentioned here in holiday contexts.
Apple “notebooks” are shown next, including the white 12 and 14-inch iBook models and the 12, 15, and 17-inch PowerBook G4 models. The AirPort Express is mentioned as a solution for streaming music and wireless printing in the home.
The last 2-page spread includes “A day in the life of a Genius,” and highlights in-store workshops and presentations.
The back page shows a map of the United States and the locations of all Apple Stores worldwide. Six happy Apple customers are also featured with their Apple Store purchases across the US.
“Think different” was the slogan used by Apple in advertising 1997–2002, and is still used in some circumstances as of 2021. The “Think different” concept was created by advertising agency TBWA\Chiat\Day while working with Apple and Steve Jobs. “Think different” was used in its original concept in a TV commercial and in print/digital advertisements, and the “Think different” slogan was used as part of many TV commercials, print/digital ads, and on product packaging.
This advertising campaign was notable in that its original concept did not feature any Apple products. The original version began with a “manifesto” that began famously with “Here’s to the crazy ones.”
Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do. Think different.
During the commercial, voiced by Richard Dreyfuss, black-and-white footage of iconic personalities (Apple referred to them later as “Apple Geniuses”) served as visuals to accompany the voiceover of the manifesto. Personalities included Albert Einstein, Bob Dylan, Martin Luther King Jr., Thomas Edison, Muhammad Ali, Ted Turner, Mahatma Gandhi, Amelia Earhart, Alfred Hitchcock, Martha Graham, Jim Henson, Pablo Picasso, and others.
The print and digital ads also did not feature Apple devices, just the Apple logo and the words “Think different.” One of the creative team who worked on the campaign described the print concept: “The rainbow-colored logo served as stark contrast to the black and white photography, and, to me, it seemed to make the ‘Think Different’ statement all the more bold.”
In 2000 this Think different poster set was provided to school leaders. The posters were 11 x 17 inches and arrived in a white box printed with the “Here’s to the crazy ones” manifesto. Each box contained three packs of posters sealed in plastic of 10 posters each.
I have two of these education sets. The one pictured was shipped directly to a high school principal. One set has been removed from its shrink wrap, and two sets are still unopened. I have a second compete set still in shrink wrap and has no shipping label.
The set also includes three 8.5 x 11 sheets inside. One is a letter from Apple, and the other two sheets include a “key” naming each Think different portrait with an adjective and mini-biography of each person’s life. The set contains the following “Apple Geniuses:”
Albert Einstein: “Questioner” Cesar Chavez: “Laborer” Jane Goodall: “Observer” Pablo Picasso: “Creator” Amelia Earhart: “Aviator” Miles Davis: “Improviser” Jim Henson: “Muppeteer” John Lennon & Yoko Ono: “Dreamers” Dr. James Watson: “Code cracker” Mahatma Gandhi: “Leader”
Sources: Wikipedia, Forbes, Apple (documentation included in this set)
The AirPort Express Generation 2 functioned as a wireless access point, to extend the range of a network, as an Ethernet-to-wireless bridge, as a print server, and/or as an audio server. This model allowed up to 50 networked users using the 802.11a/n Wi-Fi standard.
Connectors included an audio connector that combined a 3.5 mm minijack socket and a mini-TOSLINK optical digital connection. On August 28, 2018, AirPlay 2 support was added to the Generation 2 AirPort Express, giving it features similar to HomePod.
