By 1984 computer dealers saw Apple as the only clear alternative to IBM's influence; some even promoted its products to reduce dependence on the PC. The company announced the Macintosh 128k to the press in October 1983, followed by an 18-page brochure included with magazines in December. Its debut, however, was announced by a single national broadcast of a US$1.5 million television commercial, "1984" (). It was directed by Ridley Scott, aired during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII on January 22, 1984, and is now considered a "watershed event" and a "masterpiece." "1984" used an unnamed heroine to represent the coming of the Macintosh (indicated by her white tank top with a Picasso-style picture of Apple's Macintosh computer on it) as a means of saving humanity from "conformity" (Big Brother). These images were an allusion to George Orwell's noted novel, "Nineteen Eighty-Four", which described a dystopian future ruled by a televised "Big Brother." The commercial ended with the words: "On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce Macintosh. And you'll see why 1984 won't be like "1984".”