40 years: then and now

By Toni Clayton Hine, Chief Marketing Officer, Xerox

Xerox released its iconic Brother Dominic commercial – perhaps the world’s first viral ad – during the Super Bowl back in 1977. To commemorate its special anniversary, we’ve unveiled a new two-minute film that builds on its legacy.

As you can see from the spot, a lot has changed in the way we work over the past 40 years. If one thing is clear, it’s that Brother Dominic can set the page free in a lot more ways today than in 1977. So we got to thinking… what else has changed since the 1970s?

  1. From Laser Printing to Printing on 3D Objects: In 1977, Xerox introduced the first xerographic laser printer, adapting color technology by adding a laser beam – a technique that is still used in many of today’s printing and photocopying technologies. Today, Xerox innovations go beyond the flatland to enable printing on 3D objects like water bottles and football helmets.
  2. The Evolution of “Must Haves”: In the 1970s, the electronic “must haves” included the first ever digital watch, the classic Atari 2600 game system and the first ever Sony Walkman prototype. Today, popular gadgets include virtual reality headsets, drones, driverless cars, and voice assistants powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning.
  3. PARC’s Introduction Leads to Innovation: In 1970, Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) opened with a world-class team of experts in information and physical sciences who had a goal of creating “The Office of the Future.” Today, PARC’s recent innovations include printed ‘peel-and-stick’ sensors that collect and transmit data in our homes, offices, schools, hospitals, restaurants and stores.
  4. Average Cost of Everyday Items: In 1970, the average cost of a loaf of bread was 25 cents, a new car was $3,450 and a gallon of gas was 36 cents. Today, the average price for a loaf of bread is $2.43, a new car is $33,560 and a gallon of gas is $2.29.
  5. Moving from Paper to Digital: In 1970, Xerox introduced two-sided printing to help save on waste, cost, storage space and more. While we still duplex print today, Xerox is now doing more to help customers decrease their environmental footprint and improve workflows by digitizing information for a variety of industries.
  6. Popular Music: Rod Stewart’s “Tonight’s The Night (Gonna Be Alright)” record reigned supreme at the top of the charts in 1977. Today’s latest iTunes hit makers include Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran.

So as you can see, much has changed over the past four decades – in popular culture and at Xerox. But, the world’s need to share information has endured.

In 1977, the idea of automatically copying on both sides of a sheet of paper at a rate of two pages per second – as was highlighted in the original commercial – was a miracle.  So it’s no wonder Brother Dominic is back for more. Today, Xerox technology can automatically translate materials into 35 languages, seamlessly personalize content, and distribute it across seven continents and countless devices in a matter of minutes. We’re delivering new ways to set the page free and, creating a few more miracles along the way.

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5 Comments

  1. Philip Benza February 2, 2017 -

    Great work! Being a former Xerox Sales guy all I can say is Bravo once again. I would add at the end of the commercial “If your company needs a miracle call Xerox!”

  2. Chris Webster February 2, 2017 -

    I would say at the end say “It’s not a miracle it’s Xerox”

  3. alex May 9, 2017 -

    xerox miracles

  4. James Pepper June 20, 2017 -

    We are looking at your new printer for its use of Gold and Silver to print my handwritten illuminated manuscript of the Gospels for which I have been working for 30 years. This is a video by the American Bible Society on the work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndpq4EpzvSc&t=52s
    It would be a test of the capabilities of your new printer. There are over 350 pages that are illuminated. A true test of your technology to see if it stands up to the press accounts. My printer is optimistic that it will make the manuscript gorgeous!

    • Gregory Pings June 22, 2017 -

      James, I watched your video and dove into a couple of your links. The Pepper Bible is amazing! I’d love to hear how your prints turn out; do keep us posted.
      Cheers,
      Greg

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