The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) has ripped off Apple’s famous advert dubbed1984in a cheapskate attempt to promote its upcoming new singing show calledDuets(I know, don’t start).
Alluding to George Orwell’s1984novel, ABC’s cheesy commercial blatantly copies Apple’s down to a lookalike of an unnamed heroine in white tank top that represented the coming of the Macintosh.
Instead of throwing a large brass-headed hammer to smash a televised Big Brother, in ABC’s version an Olympic track and field athlete hurls a stage microphone at the big screen. Upon impact, the curtain falls down to reveal the familiar-looking set as the audience rises to a standing ovation…
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Producers hired talents of Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Nettles, Lionel Richie and Robin Thicke who will travel across America to find their duet partners.
Television personality Quddus, best known from his days as the host of MTV’sTotal Request Live, will host the series.
It’s a ‘meh’ in my book.
Now that you’ve seen ABC’s commercial, compare it to Apple’s famous1984advert.
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Similarities, eh?
As you know,1984aired only during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII on August 17, 2025 and just one other time on television.
Well, ironically enough the estate of George Orwell and the television rightsholder to the novel1984deemed it a flagrant copyright infringement. They were apparently enraged enough to send a cease-and-desist letter to Apple and its marketing agency Chiat/Day.
As a result of legal pressure, the advert was never televised as a commercial after that, though it’s since been featured countless times on television commercial compilation specials.
27 years later,Motorola spoofed Applewith its own version of the1984advert. That one, too, premiered during Super Bowl.
Interestingly enough, Apple’s recently uncoveredfour-minute sales footagealso makes subtle references to the legendary1984advert.
Would you call it a homage or a rip off?
[viaCult of Mac]
