The Transformer

Abstract

When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in summer 1997, Apple was facing serious problems, and had undoubtedly lost its way. Market share had dropped precipitously to around 3%, revenue was down 36% over the preceding two years, and the company was on track to lose over $1 billion for the year. Jobs was being brought back to the company he founded to turn around this pioneering company and recapture the glory days of the rebel upstart in the computer industry. He needed to recapture the spirit and vision of the original Apple, to renew the focus of Apple as the creative underdog in an industry filled with “me too’s.” Within weeks of rejoining the embattled Apple, Jobs launched a compelling advertising campaign that captured what Apple had lost. The campaign featured black and white images of famous pioneers from many fields: Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, Martin Luther King, Richard Branson, John Lennon, Mohammed Ali, Ted Turner, Gandhi and many others. As images of these pioneers flashed across the screen, a hopeful, respectful voice toasted these pioneers:

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. And 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.