Page Loader
Summarize
Apple's 28-year-old Indian ad goes viral ahead of iPhone launch
Apple's vintage Indian ad features TV actor Samir Soni

Apple's 28-year-old Indian ad goes viral ahead of iPhone launch

Sep 09, 2024
03:54 pm

What's the story

As the tech world eagerly awaits Apple's 2024 event today, a blast from the past has taken social media by storm. A 28-year-old advertisement, marking Apple's debut into the Indian market, has resurfaced and gone viral. The ad, which originally aired on Doordarshan in 1996, is a significant piece of Apple's history in India. It predates the company's India-focused iPhone ads by two decades.

Ad synopsis

Samir Soni stars in Apple's 1st Indian ad

The ad is set in a quintessential 1990s office and features actor Samir Soni as a confident young professional using a Power Macintosh. The plot thickens when a senior executive, holding a Windows floppy disk, enters the room looking for a PC to use it on. Despite the executive's doubts about the Mac being a "serious business computer," Soni successfully runs the disk on his machine.

Twitter Post

Take a look at the vitange ad

Market evolution

Ad reflects past skepticism, contrasts current market position

The ad mirrors the skepticism toward Apple products in India during the 1990s, a time when personal computing was just gaining traction. This is in stark contrast to present-day Apple, which holds a substantial market share and is seen as a status symbol by millions across the country. After a long break from India-specific marketing, Apple made a comeback in 2016 with ads tailored for Indian consumers.

Product launch

Apple set for its upcoming iPhone 16 series event

Apple is preparing for its highly anticipated 'It's Glowtime' event in India today, where the launch of new products including the iPhone 16 series and smartwatches is expected. Updates and launches for Mac devices and iPads may occur in October. Today's event will be available for livestreaming on Apple's official website and YouTube channel at 10:30pm IST.