Everyone is going on about the seasonal ads from the big supermarkets, which made me think about great ads from the tech industry. Great ads define brands. In tech, where innovation can get lost in jargon, the best ads deliver clarity and memorability.
1. Intel: Intel Inside
Before this 1991 campaign, microprocessors were a mystery to consumers. Intel Inside changed that with co-branding, an unforgettable jingle, and an assurance: if your PC had Intel, it had power.
2. Apple: 1984
This must be a contender for the most talked-about computer ad of all time. Aired during the Super Bowl, Ridley Scott’s Orwellian masterpiece introduced the Macintosh and slammed conformity.
3. Tesla: Not a Dream
Tesla doesn’t advertise, but its fans do. This unofficial ad captured the brand’s DNA: futuristic, aspirational, electric. Can you guess who is speaking before you get to the end?
4. Microsoft: Empowering Us All
Microsoft dives into its history–both the company and the brand–to remind why it is relevant. Needed at the time.
5. Sony: Balls (Bravia TV)
250,000 colorful bouncy balls rolling through San Francisco. That’s it. No words. Just a visual metaphor for the color vibrancy of Sony Bravia TVs. Proof that when you trust your product, less really is more.
6. Nvidia: The Way It’s Meant to Be Played
Not an ad, just a tagline that became a promise. Nvidia didn’t just sell GPUs; they sold performance gamers could feel.
7. Volkswagen: The Force
A kid in a Darth Vader costume tries to wield “the Force” on his family’s Passat. This ad turned a family car into a cultural moment. Honestly, just watching this again now made my day.
8. Samsung: The Next Big Thing
This campaign called out Apple directly, portraying iPhone users as sheep and positioning Samsung’s Galaxy phones as the cool alternative. Bold, given how derivative early Samsung models were of Apple, but still a great ad.
9. IBM: Smarter Planet
Part of a series of ads where IBM stopped talking about hardware and started talking about solutions. Real employees too.
10. Toyota: Mobility for All
Toyota didn’t sell cars—they redefined their mission. This Paralympic-themed campaign showed how Toyota’s tech goes beyond transportation and purpose leads product.
11. Bonus -- SEGA: Hidekazu Yukawa
Never mind the place of SEGA Dreamcast in my career; this series of ads featuring SEGA's MD rocks. Cult following ensued. 1:44 to 1:58 is my favorite bit.
Shameless ad for myself:
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