Xerox Releases a Special Anniversary Edition of Brother Dominic

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:

https://youtu.be/F4_eJIoN2us

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.

Source: Xerox.