The best Apple ad from each year since its 1984 Super Bowl hit (AAPL)

We chose the most important Apple commercial from each year since the company's watershed advertising moment at the Super Bowl in 1984.

From the celebrity-packed "Here's to the Crazy Ones," to the beginning of Apple's memorable demonstration-style ads, here are its best commercial hits.

Julien Rath contributed reporting to this article. Will Heilpern contributed to an earlier version of this post.

1984 — "1984"

In 1984, Apple introduced the Macintosh personal computer during the Super Bowl with a vision. The ad was directed by Ridley Scott. Apple's board of directors at the time hated the video, calling it "the worst commercial they had ever seen,"according to Walter Isaacson.

However, despite these initial doubts, "1984" became what some people consider the greatest TV ad of all time and it is in the Clio Awards Hall of Fame. After the ad came out, Apple went onto to sell 72,000 computers in 100 days, twice as many as had been anticipated, according to Forbes.

1985 - "Lemmings"

Still on a high from its incredibly successful 1984 ad campaign, Apple hoped it could repeat its success with "Lemmings." Made by the same creative team as the year before and directed by Ridley Scott's brother Tony, Apple looked to replicate a similar formula.

However, "Lemmings," which featured mass suicide, turned into a complete disaster for Apple.

Viewers called the ad "insulting" and, due to relatively poor results following the commercial, Apple was forced to get rid of 20% of its staff. Founder Steve Jobs also left the company in 1985.

1986 — "The Power To Be Your Best"

Apple's "The Power To Be Your Best" slogan began in the 1980s.

A mark of its success is that it was used well into the next decade.

The campaign faced some criticism by ad experts for failing to pick out Apple computers specifically, rather than computers in general. However, the campaign was largely successful.

It was even parodied by Saturday Night Live, becoming "The Power To Crush Other Kids."

1987 — "Hard Sell"

Back in the 1980s, IBM dominated the business computer market.

Apple wanted to move to increase its share, with what it perceived as better computers than its competitor. "Hard Sell" from 1987 shows Apple's frustration.

Apple had a famous rivalry with IBM, which lasted well into the 21st century.

However, in 2014, Apple and IBM announced a huge partnership for business customers, formally marking the end of the antagonism between the two tech giants.

1988 — "Pencil Test"

In 1988, Apple released a short film made in collaboration with Pixar called the "Pencil Test" to show the capacity of the Apple Macintosh II for creating animations.

The film shows a pencil escaping the computer screen, before trying to get back. Bonus fact: "Ratatouille" producer Galyn Susman was listed on the credits for the ad.

Additional bonus fact: Steve Jobs, who resigned from Apple in 1985 before returning to the company in 1997, purchased the graphics computer division from George Lucas' company to create Pixar in 1986.

1989 — "Hit the Road Mac"

In 1989, Apple released the first "portable" Macintosh computer, with this video.

There was a lot of excitement about the "portable" — which Apple stressed should not be called a "laptop."

However, sales never really took off, which could have had something to do with the computer's $6,500 price tag and weight of 16 pounds, according to Time.

1990 — "Color"

In October 1990, Apple released the Macintosh LC, which was the first relatively low cost Mac personal computer with a color display.

To announce this exciting leap forward, Apple kept its ad simple and informative.

Costing $2,400, the computer became popular at home, as well as in schools and universities.

1991 - "Macintosh Classic II"

The Macintosh Classic II was marketed as the first "really fast business computer" that was "affordable." It came in the same case as the original Macintosh Classic, but was more powerful.

The ad is expansive, visually stimulating, and fast-paced, as Apple looked to target busy, working people.

Apple only discontinued support for the machine in 2001.

1992 — "John and Greg"

In 1992, Apple tried to dazzle viewers by showing two normal men, "John and Greg," using their PowerBooks in an airplane at 30,000 feet.

Apple claimed it was the first computer network to be installed at that height.

Nowadays, the sight of people using laptops on airplanes is pretty unremarkable, while the guy sandwiched between the two Apple owners, reading a newspaper, is more rare.

1993 - "What Is Newton?"

In 1993, Apple launched the Newton, marketed as a handheld PDA, which could take notes, store a calendar and contacts, fax, and even translate handwriting into text, according to Wired.

The revolutionary idea of providing handheld computing to everyone ultimately failed with Newton — it was discontinued in 1998. However, it was prophetic of now-ubiquitous smartphones.

The ad is the first of many Apple ads that flashes between tasks being performed on the computer. In 2010, when Apple brought out the iPad, the company closely mirrored the 1993 ad with "What is iPad?"

1994 - "Before After"

In 1994, the Apple QuickTake 100 was released as one of the first consumer digital cameras. It was priced at $749.

However, the product was not actually created by Apple, but Kodak. Kodak was afraid of endangering its successful film business, so it used Apple's branding, according to Mashable.

The playful ad hints at the future advantages that digital cameras could bring, but mainly focuses on school projects.

Apple released three versions of the QuickTake in total. Time Magazine named it one of the 100 most influential gadgets since 1923.

1995 — "Power Is"

In 1995, Apple took advantage of celebrity faces to boost sales.

Ads in the "Power is" campaign featured Hunter S. Thompson, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, Marlee Matlin, George Clinton, and Dave Stewart musing on the meaning of the concept.

Musician George Clinton's ad took off, helping to define Apple as a brand for individuals.

1996 — "Mission Impossible"

Apple continued to bring in stars from the entertainment world into its ads.

The company took advantage of product placement in the first "Mission: Impossible" movie, starring Tom Cruise.

In 2011, for the fourth installment of the franchise, "Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol," Apple paired with the film franchise once more.

1997 — "Here's to the Crazy Ones"

It's generally accepted that Apple's "Think Different" campaign is a direct response to IBM's "Think" slogan.

In 1997, the year Steve Jobs returned as CEO, the company successfully managed to rebrand Apple as a product for independent thinkers.

As well as the TV ad below, Apple bought full-page ads in newspapers and magazines with black and white images of revolutionary thinkers including Albert Einstein, Muhammad Ali, Gandhi, Bob Dylan, and Amelia Earheart — next to the words "Think Different," and an Apple logo.

It's viewed as one of the most successful ad campaigns of all time, according to Tech Republic.

1998 — "Un-PC"

In 1998, Apple began an aggressive advertising tactic that it would use throughout the next decade: directly targeting Windows PCs.

Apple presented itself as the stylish alternative to bland, functional PCs.

Originally released in "Bondi Blue" in 1998, the iMac immediately stood out from off-beige PCs.

1999 — "Hal 2000"

In 1999, Apple played on an ultimately baseless fear surrounding the Y2K millennium bug by using a character from Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey."

People were afraid that, when the clocks hit midnight at the turn of the millennium, computers would fail to operate properly. Apple claimed that its computers, unlike others, would not be affected by the coding problem. In the end, there were few such problems for anyone.

In the ad, Hal 9000 gives an apocalyptic monologue about when computers "started to misbehave," before saying: "Only Macintosh was designed to function perfectly, saving billions of monetary units."

2000 — "iMovie"

This classic Apple ad, with a strong soundtrack and clear visuals, failed to make the product a success.

The G4 Cube's high starting price of $1,799 put off many potential customers. After just one year the Apple ended production of the computer.

However, its innovative design won Apple many plaudits in the art world. There's even a G4 cube at the New York Museum of Modern Art.

2001 - "Propellerheads - Take California."

Apple's first ever iPod ad premiered in October 2001.

The video featured The Propellerheads — a band that would never even release an album.

The confident, careless dancing in the video anticipated Apple's future silhouette iPod ads.

The first iPod could hold about 1,000 songs and retailed at $399. Its scroll wheel, interesting design, and easy-to-use software changed how many people listened to music.

2002 — Big and Small Ideas

This classic ad for the Apple PowerBook demonstrated Apple's product flexibility.

It sold in three sizes: 12 inch, 15 inch or 17 inch.

The spot starred the 7ft5 basketball player Yao Ming with the 12 inch version and 2ft8 actor Verne Troyer with a 17 inch PowerBook.

2003 Jet - Are You gonna be my girl

By 2003, iPods were everywhere. Apple capitalized by releasing a series of a stylish silhouette music videos.

Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?" is one of the most memorable. As a result of the ad, the relatively unknown band from Australia sold 3.5 million copies of their first album "Get Born."

Apple used these ads as an opportunity to advertise songs on the iTunes store, which opened in 2003.

It released videos featuring artists from many different genres, including: U2, Bob Dylan, The Black Eyed Peas, Mary J. Blige, and Coldplay.

2004 — 20th Anniversary

In 2004, Apple remastered its iconic 1984 commercial, adding an iPod classic to the hammer-wielding runner.

Apart from this edit, the ad was left identical.

Steve Jobs premiered the digitally altered ad at Macworld San Francisco, as part of Apple's celebration of the 20 year anniversary of the Macintosh computer.

2005 — "Impossibly Small"

In 2005, unlike today, the trend was for phones and electronics to get smaller.

The iPod Nano, at just 3.5 inches long, 0.27 inches thick and weighing 1.5 ounces, took this fashion to a new extreme.

Steve Jobs introduced the Nano at a special event, by directing the camera to the small pocket in his jeans, asking: "Ever wonder what this pocket is for?"

He then pulled the Nano out of it, to the crowd's amazement.

2006 — "Get a Mac"

The first "Get a Mac" ad came out in 2006. By the end of that year, there were 19 videos in the campaign and, after four years, there were 66.

The aim was to present Macs as better and cooler than Windows PCs. To do this, Apple hired Justin Long to play "Mac," a young, easy going character, while John Hodgman took the role of "PC," who was older, nerdier, and more uptight.

The campaign was a great success for Apple. After the first few "Get A Mac" ads, sales flew up by 12% and, by the last quarter of 2006, Apple sold 1.6 million Macs, an increase of 39%, according to Audrey Leap's blog.

2007 — "Hello"

Apple's first ever iPhone ad, "Hello," aired during the 2007 Oscars.

The 30-second commercial cut between 31 Hollywood actors saying "Hello" in as many movies and TV shows.

The first scene is in black and white, from Alfred Hitchcock’s “Dial M For Murder.

It ends with a shot of a ringing iPhone. The spot tried to give a sense of the historical importance of one of the first touch-screen smartphones, which would quickly start to dominate the market.

2008 — "MacBook Air"

Firing on all cylinders after the the huge success of the first iPhone, Apple came out with the MacBook Air.

The Air was extremely thin for such a powerful laptop. This is the message Apple portrayed in its 30-second ad, where the computer is removed from a brown envelope.

As well as being a huge success for Apple, the MacBook Air ad helped to give a relatively unknown French-Israeli singer, Yael Naim, a huge platform for her track "New Soul." The song hit No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.

2009 - "There's an App for that"

In 2009, Apple launched yet another memorable campaign slogan: "There's an app for that."

The campaign was all about promoting the idea that the iPhone can be so much more than a communications device.

2010 — "Apple iPad TV Commercial"

Apple again took advantage of the Oscars for a high-profile launch of the iPad tablet. Simplistic in terms of creative vision, the ad is like a video instruction manual — making the viewer immediately familiar with how to use the iPad.

2011 — "App Store"

By 2011, Apple was feeling threatened by the rise of rival smartphones, which now had many of the same features as the iPhone. So, Apple again looked to promote itself using its USP: The App Store.

In January 2011, Apple announced that more than 10 billion apps had been downloaded from the App Store.

To mark the occasion, it gave the person who downloaded the 10 billionth app — Gail Davis from Kent, UK — a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card.

2012 — "John Malkovich"

In 2012, Apple abandoned its product-led advertising strategy by bringing in celebrities again.

Samuel L. Jackson, Zooey Deschanel, and John Malkovich to star in ads to promote the iPhone 4S's Siri voice assistant feature.

These ads were not a success. Peter Daboll, CEO of ad-tracking firm Ace Metrix said at the time: "The ads have met with mockery in some circles, in part because the actors’ experience with Siri is laughably different from real-life uses of the imperfect technology. Customers have even filed a class action against Apple claiming Siri doesn’t work as advertised."

2013 — "Misunderstood"

Apple was back on form in 2013 with "Misunderstood" — a Christmas ad, which went on to win an Emmy Award for the year's most "Outstanding Commercial."

In the 9- second video, a teenage boy seems overly pre-occupied with his iPhone during the holiday season.

However, it eventually turns out that he has been spending his time creating a heart-warming family movie, which is revealed on Christmas day.

2014 — "The Song"

When Apple's marketing department has a big success with an ad, it likes to try to repeat it using a similar formula.

This somber Christmas ad shows a young girl finding a recording of her grandmother singing "Love is Here to Stay" to her now dead husband, back in 1952.

The girl decides to use her Macbook Air to remaster the track into a duet, featuring herself. The granny is given the gift on Christmas morning and she is moved to tears.

2015 — "Apple Watch"

The first ad for the Apple Watch skipped highbrow creative concepts to demonstrate the functionality of the smartwatch.

Consumers' reactions to the Apple Watch have been mixed.

While it was by far the top-selling smartwatch in the world, Apple only shipped 4.1 million Apple Watches in the fourth quarter of 2015 — which we reported was far lower than had been expected. In January 2017, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Apple Watch sales set records for revenue and units sold, but did not disclose exact figures.

2016 — "40 Years in 40 Seconds"

2016 was Apple's 40th anniversary, which it celebrated with a video chronicling 40 years of the company in 40 seconds, and an Apple Music playlist with songs from its commercials over the years.

In 2016, the Cupertino company turned to celebrities, including Aubrey Plaza, Neil Patrick Harris, Drake, and Taylor Swift, to promote the features of its new iPhone 6S and Apple Music.

One of it' most popular ads, starring "The Muppets" character Cookie Monster generated 12 million YouTube views. It was so popular Apple even released a bloopers video for the ad.

2017 - "Meu Bloco na Rua"

In 2017, Apple restructured the relationship with its ad agency TBWA\Media Arts Lab to focus more on local and digital content, as the Cupertino company brought more of its global marketing efforts in house.

One of the earliest examples from this new relationship was an ad released in Brazil for the Rio Carnival, highlighting the iPhone 7 Plus' new portrait photography mode.