Looking back at vintage tech advertisements are humorous to our modern tech-savvy minds. Many vintage marketing ventures may seem ridiculous, but for brands like Apple, these first attempts to market their brand has helped define their signature ubiquity today.
Honeywell Electronic Mail
E-mail seemed like a mysterious force of sorcery for vintage tech rookies. Hence, Honeywell created an advert that promoted and explained the use of electronic mailing and how it could benefit communication on the grand scale.
1976 Apple 1
This ad for the Apple 1 looks very intimidating in comparison to Apple’s ritzy corporate ads of the 21st century. With a 6502 microprocessor, 4 Kbytes of RAM, and complete video electronics (!!!), the Apple 1 was rocking! Note the ominous pirate-looking logo on the bottom of the page.
1979 Apple II “Adam”
A provocative ad that had a coinciding marketing plan with a writing contest.
Apple II and III
My sixth-great grandfather in an Apple ad? That’s awesome! Apple always liked name-dropping. Even today, Apple throws celebs and prominent figures into their branding style to promote their products.
What Kind of Man Owns His Own Computer?
Benjamin Franklin has risen from the grave to check out Apple computers! With this ad, Apple demonstrates its use of a historical figure to promote products.
1984 Newsweek Macintosth Ad
Explaining the computer's cut and paste option blew the minds of many. It’s one of the greatest computer features ever.
Cassettes by Ampex
Bee Gees popping out from a cassette case… what more could you want from a
vintage advertisement?
TMS 9900 16-Bit Microcomputer SS-16 by Technico
Advertised as a unique device with “reliable hardware and fast, easy-to-use software, this minicomputer contained a single-board super starter system. You could pick up one of these nifty devices by Technico for $400 in the 60s and 70s.
Sugart Disk Drive
Sugart’s line of drives provided storage of 250 to 500 kilobytes of data. For larger data bases, Sugart offered storage from 5 to 58 megabytes. The pictured man looks thrilled to be featured in the advertisement. Perhaps he was overwhelmed by how reliable the data storage appeared to be.
Lotus Magellan 2.0
The search device that Lotus Magellan provided allowed users to search their entire hard disk for file names, phrases, and words. It compressed data files, saved users disk space and was completely customizable.
Penril Modem
What an interestingly bizarre way to describe a modem!
IBM’s 5110 Computing System
Haha, a “small” computer that takes up an entire desk and the surrounding floor!
Apples make great carrots
Apple’s advert is snarky and informative. It states, “Apple is the best known, most desired brand in the category… with better brand awareness than our nearest competitor.” This phrase rings true today.
As you can see in the bottom right-hand corner, the notorious Apple logo was starting to take its famous form.
SuperRam memory
Wow! “Sink your teeth into some big, feature-packed static memories” with the
SuperRam MemoryMaster 16K Static line.
Osborne’s Personal Business Computer
Seeing someone carrying around an Osborne computer today would generate a terrifying reaction from onlookers.
Commodore Vic-20
This 80s advertisement proclaims that the Commodore is “the only computer you’ll need for years to come.” They get an “A” for effort in the celebrity branding category.
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