When Epic Games launched its manufactured crusade against Apple over App Store developer fees, the Fortnite-makers created a shot-for-shot parody of the famous “1984” Apple Super Bowl commercial directed by Ridley Scott.
“1984” introduced the Apple Macintosh personal computer. It was conceived by Chiat/Day’s Steve Hayden, Brent Thomas and Lee Clow, produced by New York production company Fairbanks Films, and directed by Ridley Scott. Anya Major performed as the spot’s heroine and David Graham portrayed “Big Brother.” The spot’s only broadcast was on January 22, 1984 during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII. Chiat/Day also ran the ad one other time, in December 1983 right before the 1:00 am sign-off on KMVT in Twin Falls, Idaho, so that the advertisement could be submitted to award ceremonies for that year.
IGN spoke with Scott about Epic’s homage in a recent interview.
IGN asked Scott, director of critically acclaimed films like Alien, Gladiator, and Black Hawk Down, if he has seen the Epic remake of his famous Apple “1984” commercial.
“I sure have and I wrote to them because on the one hand I can be fully complimented by the fact they copied [my commercial] shot for shot,” Scott says. “But pity the message is so ordinary when they could have been talking about democracy or more powerful things… And they didn’t use it.”
Scott added, “I think the animation was terrific, the idea was terrific, the message was ‘ehh’.”
MacDailyNews Take: Regardless of uninspired, derivative videos, the bottom line is clear: Epic Games wants all of the benefits afforded to it by Apple’s App Store for free.
Here’s the real deal:
