TBWA\Chiat\Day and Apple marked a return to form at a crucial point in its history. Created in 1997, shortly after Steve Jobs returned to the company, it reintroduced Apple as a brand that stood for imagination and independent thinking.
In the outdoor medium, ‘Think Different’ featured black-and-white portraits of icons including Muhammad Ali, Picasso, Gandhi and Einstein, alongside the famous line.
The simplicity was radical at a time when competitors filled their ads with technical specifications. By reducing everything to a face and a thought, Apple invited people to identify with a mindset rather than a machine. It was something more akin to a sports ad and was revolutionary for the category.
The campaign ran on billboards and print worldwide, forming part of a wider brand relaunch that also introduced the colourful iMac a year later. It helped shift Apple from near-bankruptcy to cultural relevance, and remains one of advertising’s most enduring examples of belief-driven storytelling.
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‘Think Different’ earned multiple honours, including Cannes Lions and Effie Awards. It became shorthand for creative courage, proving that a few words and a single image can redefine an entire brand.
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