For most American football fans, the 1984 Super Bowl XVIII was a “snoozer”. After all, the Los Angeles Raiders routed the Washington Redskins 38 to 9 that day in a game whose outcome felt preordained at the opening kick. But away from Marcus Allen, the Super Bowl MVP, the glee of “Raider Nation” and an otherwise boring football game; it was Apple’s “Hail Mary” (produced by movie director, Ridley Scott) TV commercial spot that transcended the realm of the “ordinary” of that time in a remarkably profound manner which stole the show that day.
Before delving more deeply into Apple’s remarkable Super Bowl TV spot, some background that not only sets the stage, but also reinforces the notion that Apple’s Steve Jobs was an absolute marketing genius is required.
The global and US personal computer (PC) revolution that turbocharged the last decade plus of the twentieth century was still in its infancy in the early 1980’s. At that time, a fierce rivalry existed between the established industrial computing monopoly enjoyed by IBM and, within a newly forming consumer PC market, the brash upstart, Apple. Interestingly, even with Apple initially gaining significant PC market share by essentially revolutionizing personal computing for individuals with user friendly tech, the sheer weight of IBM in the corporate sphere allowed “Big Blue” to also dominate the retail PC space with its 1981 launch of the IBM PC.
As a result, it had become apparent by 1983 that even though Apple was developing a “cult” like following based on the relative ease of using its system, Apple was still facing an existential crisis. For every “Apple 2” sold during that time, for example, three IBM PCs were being sold elsewhere. From Apple’s perspective, 1984 was going to be a “make-or-break” year as only the company’s newly developed “Macintosh” PC and an effective ad campaign represented the only remaining hope for Steve Jobs still fledgling company.
Here through an historic lens one can now only marvel at the marketing genius of Steve Jobs. Not only did he understand this critical “moment” for his company, Jobs also understood America’s love of an “underdog” as well as skepticism for government in the still relatively fresh wake of the Vietnam War as well as with Watergate. Jobs also understood the importance of year that was fast approaching in more ways than one as evidenced by his late 1983 (Apple) keynote address:
“…It is now 1984. It appears IBM wants it all. Apple is perceived to be the only hope to offer IBM a run for its money. Dealers initially welcoming IBM with open arms now fear an IBM dominated and controlled future. They are increasingly turning back to Apple as the only force that can ensure their future freedom. IBM wants it all and is aiming its guns on its last obstacle to industry control: Apple. Will Big Blue dominate the entire computer industry? The entire information age? Was George Orwell right about 1984?”
And there it was. Not only did Steve Jobs go full blown “Orwellian Big Brother” on IBM, he had a perfect TV commercial built off of an abandoned print ad campaign to drive his argument into the heart of America. This commercial was created by the advertising agency Chiat/Day with the following theme in mind:
“There are monster computers lurking in big business and big government that know everything from what motels you’ve stayed at to how much money you have in the bank. But at Apple we’re trying to balance the scales by giving individuals the kind of computer power once reserved for corporations.”
Beyond a great theme, Apple and Jobs had another “ace in the hole” for their project. Ridley Scott, fresh off of his success with the sensational release of his dystopian sci-fi film hit “Blade Runner“ one and a half years prior, was the director for the now legendary TV commercial that Scott “filmed in England for about $370,000” according to the New York Times.
As an aside, I knew, even after a few beers as a college student, that I had just seen something special when I watched this revolutionary Super Bowl commercial air during the third quarter of an otherwise dull football game at “Mr. Pizza” which had a big screen TV (a big deal at the time…). One of my friends captured the moment best, at least for me, when he turned to me with a hazy look on his face and said to me, “what the fuck was that ?”
The legendary commercial is attached below.
Not to be outdone and in the wake of the proliferation of the internet and the emergence of “smart phones”, Steve Jobs went further into cementing his name in as “the” marketing genius or “father” for the entire digital revolution with his 2007 Macworld Conference pitch for the iPhone. There, he ultimately led the audience to chant loudly by the end of his speech what the revolutionary iPhone was…”a wide screen iPod…, a mobile phone…, and an internet communicator !…” in one great device !!! Let’s goooooo !
Apple 1984 Super Bowl commercial (YouTube)
Unfortunately, Steve Jobs didn’t live to see the full digital revolution that he spearheaded with his creative marketing genius as he succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 2011 and left the planet way too soon at the young age of 56. But if he had lived longer, what would Steve Jobs now think about the second derivative of his digital revolution which was the important data connected to the human use of the now ubiquitous iPhone ?
After all, this data has turned out to be the equivalent of digital gold for advertising and other dollars that have powered the behemoth valuations of what have become “The Magnificent Seven” stocks and beyond. And while Jobs would likely have been okay with this massive expansion and ultimate “victory” for big tech, what would he also think of the political views of someone like Peter Thiel who has not only become an ambassador for Big Tech but has also seized the enormous opportunity presented by “big data” within his data integration company, Palantir. Palantir matters as it is gaining material traction in the defense and homeland security systems of the Trump administration.
When asked by the writer, would Steve Jobs have liked the political views and political activism of Peter Thiel ?, Google Gemini’s response offered the following interesting take:
” It is highly likely that Steve Jobs would have found Peter Thiel’s political beliefs and activism too abrasive, distracting, and counterproductive to the “dent in the universe” ethos he prioritized .
While both were “hardcore capitalists” who believed in technological disruption, their approaches to politics, social issues, and business strategy were profoundly different.
Likely Areas of Conflict
- Apolitical Focus vs. Political Provocateur: Jobs was largely apolitical in his professional life, viewing politics as a distraction from building great products. He believed the maximum social good came from Apple’s success, not political activism. Thiel is an active political svengali who directly involves himself in disrupting the political landscape, which likely would have frustrated Jobs’ focus on efficiency.
- Contrarianism vs. Perfectionism: Thiel is a self-described “provocateur” and contrarian, often pushing controversial ideas just to provoke debate. Jobs was a perfectionist who focused solely on aesthetics, user experience, and excellence, rarely engaging in social trolling.
- Ideological Activism:Thiel’s, particularly his support for Donald Trumpand his view that freedom and democracy are incompatible, would have clashed with the generally progressive, counter-culture background of Jobs. While Jobs was critical of the Obama administration, his criticisms were business-oriented (regulations, immigration) rather than ideologically libertarian or authoritarian.
- Public Persona and Distractions: Jobs was notorious for his lack of patience with distractions and his intense focus on work. Thiel’s high-profile, divisive political fights (such as the Gawker lawsuit or supporting election-denying candidates) would likely have been seen by Jobs as unprofessional distractions from innovation…”
Bottom Line
It is unfortunate that the father of the digital revolution that has propelled related US equity valuations to dizzying heights is not alive to use his vision to help now create a synergistic harmony between society and government in this new frontier.
Instead, other luminaries, who are dangerously (Peter Thiel, without hesitation, has labeled Swedish political activist, Great Thunberg, and others like her as being representative of the “antichrist”
Fortune: Peter Thiel on the Antichrist and Greta Thunberg
Meanwhile, it is one thing to have a radical view, but it is entirely something else when such a view is powered by a billionaire such as Thiel. Thiel, for example, beyond having controversial political views is also single handedly responsible for lifting the political career of JD Vance from a dung heap to now being one bad McDonald’s hamburger away from the US Presidency.
Beyond political candidate empowerment, Thiel’s data integration company, Palantir, as mentioned above, is gaining material traction in enmeshing itself into the very fabric of US defense and homeland security systems where current leadership is arguably questionable from moral and other perspectives. This is also happening in the US at a time when parts of Europe are closing their doors to Palantir as described by Google Gemini below:
“…the Swiss government decided against adopting Palantir’s software for its army and federal agencies after a seven-year evaluation process. A 20-page risk assessment concluded that the software posed “unacceptable risks” to data sovereignty, with concerns that sensitive data could be accessed by U.S. intelligence agencies due to the CLOUD Act.
…in the UK: NHS staff and clinicians are reportedly boycotting Palantir’s Federated Data Platform (FDP) over ethical concerns,citing the company’s ties to U.S. immigration enforcement (ICE) and defense intelligence. There are reports that the UK government has considered a break clause in the contract due to this backlash…
In response, “Palantir has sued a Swiss magazine ( Republik ) that reported on the Swiss rejection, a move that critics labeled a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) intended to silence scrutiny.
Additional reading on this topic is attached below.
Switzerland Ends Palantir Contract Over Data Sovereignty Risks
TechRadar: NHS staff push back against Palantir software
And more importantly relative to the concerning developments referenced above is the answer from Google Gemini when asked if Palantir was involved with the killing of women and children in Iran ?
“Based on reports from March 2026, Palantir Technologies has been implicated in the technological processes leading to a US military strike in Iran that resulted in significant civilian casualties, including women and children.
The Incident: On February 28, 2026, a US strike during “Operation Epic Fury” hit the Shajareh Tayyebeh primary school in Minab, Iran, killing over 170 people, primarily young girls.
Palantir’s Role: Reports indicate the U.S. military used Palantir’s “Maven” battlefield intelligence platform—which is powered in part by Anthropic’s Claude AI—to process targeting data.
Target Identification: It is alleged that AI systems, including those developed by Palantir, were used to identify and prioritize targets, and that the school was mistakenly identified as a military base used by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.
Pentagon Investigation: The Pentagon has been investigating whether this AI system played a role in the targeting error.
Context: While the Pentagon has emphasized that “humans make the final decisions on what to shoot,” the use of such systems allows for identifying and hitting targets in an accelerated, automated manner…”
Before leaving this section, one conclusion for the writer remains, Steve Jobs would not have approved of the current and deep interconnection that exists between big Tech and the Trump administration in the current moment.
What This Means for My Personal Portfolio
The US rescue mission over the weekend was more than that. Judge for yourself…
Global Geopolitic: weekend rescue mission note
And if last weekend’s rescue was a byproduct of a James Bond like attempted extraction of uranium from Iran, the failure of this mission in conjunction with the US Navy holding “no cards” in the Strait of Hormuz as well as limited cards in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that is now constrained by the Houthis also means to expect heightened and uncertain action from the Trump administration. Such action would include issuing threats such as “a whole civilization will die tonight” unless a “deal” is struck.
From the writer’s perspective, there is not going to be any “deal” as the two sides have an unnavigable chasm between them and Iran has the upper hand. This means to expect the unexpected which also means that in my personal portfolio I:
- remain over 50% cash even though fundamentals appear poised to improve going forward based on market sentiment and guidance from Wall Street,
- added to gold below $4,500 an ounce and have a full position,
- maintain a “short” on the market in the form of SPXS but have eliminated SOXS as a hedge and may revisit this short on any news of supply chain shortages that would impact the “semi” space,
- maintain positions in RIG and XLE.
Have a great week !