Presentation Thinking™ #187. Studying every Steve Jobs keynote ever: Introducing iMac (1998)
Mikey and Molly might be the first-ever students of storytelling to embark on a curious journey of studying every talk and keynote that Steve Jobs has ever done.
When discussing the greatest speakers of all time, the general B2B world typically includes Steve Jobs somewhere in the list and we nod our heads in agreeance. But aside from a few highlights of his talks (and what’s portrayed in various biopics of his life), we realized we weren’t super familiar with his “game” when it comes to the STORY, SCREEN & STAGE elements we typically break down.
So we’re off! We begin with one of Apple’s earlier “inciting incidents”: the introduction of the iMac computer in 1998. (You might recall this slick teal desktop setup in your school’s old computer lab).
For this talk, Steve has a combined goal of sharing “the state of Apple today” (Steve had just returned to the company) and a launch of this pretty revolutionary technology.
Steve’s skill in painting the world as is and presenting an alluring what it could be is absolutely “screamin’”. The 1998 visuals are nostalgic but still powerful. And Steve’s presence is a blast.
This is an episode for: Steve Jobs/Apple fans, fellow presentation nerds and anyone that is trying to make their product launch more compelling.
What’s in the Spice Cabinet??
Watch the talk for yourself:
Not necessary but fun viewing:
iMac evolution supercut
Steve’s walkout song? (Cheesey version, according to Molly)