The Tremendous Bowl would not be tremendous with out Apple

Computer systems and sports activities–two issues that ought to by no means be appreciated collectively, when you settle for the high-school stereotypes about jocks versus nerds. Right now we dwell in a post-Moneyball world the place nerds with computer systems have quantified each facet of athletic efficiency. However again in 1984, who would have anticipated that the large winner of the Tremendous Bowl could be… Apple Pc?

Nevertheless it’s true: Apple and the Tremendous Bowl have been making milestones for many years. It’s a nerds-and-jocks love story for the ages, besides today it’s extra about musicians than jocks. Let’s have a look at Apple’s lengthy historical past with the Tremendous Bowl.

The business period

After all, we start with essentially the most well-known business in Tremendous Bowl historical past: Apple’s “1984” advert. It aired throughout Tremendous Bowl XVIII, by which the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins 38 to 9. (That recreation kicked off a run of 5 straight Tremendous Bowl blow-outs. It wasn’t an excellent Tremendous Bowl Period.)

However Apple’s advert, directed by Ridley Scott, obtained everybody speaking–and prolonged past the sport, with information tales discussing its shocking impression. I can’t say for certain, but it surely feels just like the cultural impression of the “1984” advert helped create the complete idea of the tentpole Tremendous Bowl business, high-concept and high-priced productions designed to get folks speaking exterior the sport itself.

Today, these sorts of advert campaigns are in all places. Within the weeks earlier than the Tremendous Bowl, advertisements start to look which might be merely trailers for forthcoming Tremendous Bowl advert campaigns. Within the months afterward, these Tremendous Bowl advertisements usually get chopped up into smaller bits and recycled to assist make the economics work.

Apple’s “1984” advert wasn’t like that. Whereas it was designed to tease the introduction of the unique Macintosh–and what a contemporary idea that’s, an advert that’s teasing the long run launch of an unannounced product–it was meant to face alone. Scott’s business, that includes grey faces in rows listening to a Large Brother rant as a girl in colourful garments runs in sluggish movement, chased by jack-booted thugs, performed on (and amplified!) Apple’s fame as a distinct sort of firm.

It looks like Apple’s board and its CEO, John Sculley, hated the advert. Steve Jobs cherished it, as a result of it was precisely his vibe: Apple as iconoclastic insurgent, altering the world by way of the discharge of a really totally different sort of pc, the Mac.

After all, the subsequent 12 months, Apple blew it.

Because the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Miami Dolphins in Tremendous Bowl XIX, Apple aired the baffling advert “Lemmings,” directed by Ridley Scott’s brother Tony. It’s obtained the identical discordant soundtrack, the identical grim manufacturing design…it’s very clear that the temporary was “let’s try this ‘1984’ advert once more.” The advert contains a bunch of blindfolded folks in enterprise apparel marching in a kind of suicidal conga line till they plunge over a cliff one by one, all whereas whistling off-key “Excessive-Ho” from “Snow White.”

The “Lemmings” voiceover, designed to reflect the voiceover on the finish of “1984,” as a substitute introduces one thing known as The Macintosh Workplace. Don’t fret when you’ve by no means heard of the Macintosh Workplace, as a result of it by no means actually shipped. In addition to, it was only a enterprise bundle consisting of Macs, a file server (that by no means materialized), and a LaserWriter.

Pause for a second and marvel at simply how badly the company fits misunderstood the facility of “1984,” which confirmed a dystopia ready to be disrupted by a revolutionary new product. They took the trimmings of that advert and as a substitute made it a couple of difficult enterprise {hardware} bundle and portrayed the potential patrons as lemmings strolling mindlessly over a cliff. A enterprise {hardware} bundle! Why! What a catastrophe!

The Apple Music period

Please pause whereas we fast-forward from the period of Joe Montana to the period of Patrick Mahomes. (Sure, I’m skipping over the “HAL” business that aired throughout Tremendous Bowl XXXIII in 1999.) Years later, Apple re-engaged with America’s large recreation, because the title sponsor of the Tremendous Bowl halftime present starting with Tremendous Bowl LVII in 2023. (For the file, it was a taut 38 to 35 win for Kansas Metropolis over the Philadelphia Eagles.)

Apple changed the earlier title sponsor, Pepsi, utilizing the halftime leisure showcase to hyperlink distinguished artists with its personal music streaming service. The headliner of the primary halftime was Rihanna, and it gained two Emmy awards.

Since then, the Apple Music Halftime Present has simply sped onward. In 2024, Usher headlined (and Kansas Metropolis beat the 49ers, 25 to 22 in additional time). In 2025, it was Kendrick Lamar (and the Eagles gained their revenge by beating Kansas Metropolis by 18 factors).

Which brings us to this 12 months. Apple’s particular halftime visitor is Puerto Rican famous person Unhealthy Bunny, who will turn into the primary Spanish-language performer to headline a Tremendous Bowl halftime.

As you may count on, Apple enjoys having its model be a serious a part of such a giant occasion, and Apple executives are often noticed on the recreation. Final 12 months, CEO Tim Prepare dinner and Apple Music chief Eddy Cue [frolicked within the French Quarter forward of the sport on the Caesar’s Superdome in New Orleans, and two years in the past they have been in Las Vegas hanging out with, amongst different folks, Unhealthy Bunny! The plot thickens.

This 12 months, Apple will undoubtedly be all around the occasion, as a result of the Tremendous Bowl is going down at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, solely about six miles away from Apple Park because the crow flies. The true query is, will there be a elaborate celebration at Apple Park for the NFL and music crowd? I wouldn’t put it previous Eddy Cue.