The relentless march of time has claimed another of humankind’s truly good people. Rest in peace, Jane Goodall.

To the benefit of all, Jane devoted her life to “inspiring a more harmonious, sustainable relationship between people, animals and the natural world.” (—Jane Goodall Institute)

She also did something far, far less significant, and for that Steve Jobs was thankful. She agreed to be part of our Think different campaign for Apple in 1998. Not for money, mind you—but she got something nice out of the deal. (Read on.)

For those whose memory of Think different might be a bit hazy, here’s a brief refresher.

When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, the company was teetering on bankruptcy. His arrival was big news, but his first new computer—iMac—was still eight months away.

Think different, a pure brand campaign, filled this void. It didn’t show a single computer. Instead, it celebrated the lives of people that Apple admires—which would say a lot about Apple’s values, and set the stage for revolutionary products to come.

The launch TV ad, “The Crazy Ones,” featured seventeen Apple heroes. But an even more visible part of the campaign would be the fifty-plus print ads and billboards that focused on single individuals, from Thomas Edison and Amelia Earhart to Picasso and Ted Turner. Each one was a black-and-white portrait, with nothing added except a small Think different and the Apple logo.

As you can imagine, choosing individuals for the campaign was a process in itself. Let’s just say some people are complicated. (Like, maybe, Woody Allen?) Jane Goodall was not complicated at all. She was enthusiastically embraced by the group from the moment we put her photo on the table. Steve was truly honored that Jane had consented to the use of her image. The campaign was dear to his heart and he so admired Jane’s lifelong work.

Though it was not publicized, a collection of ten Think different posters was sent to hundreds of schools in Apple’s Education Channels. The intent was to stimulate conversation about these people and their accomplishments. Jane’s poster was part of this set. Literally fifteen years later, I saw these posters still hanging in my son’s high school library. A teacher raved to me how useful they had been. Pretty amazing.

So, how was Jane compensated for giving us her permission? The truth is, we didn’t offer cash to any of the Think different people. Instead, Steve donated large numbers of Apple computers to charities and organizations designated by participants or their estates.

If I ever knew how many computers were sent to Jane’s offices, I’ve long since forgotten. But I like to think that on some desk, somewhere in Jane’s organization, a dusty old translucent iMac is still chugging along.