Lee Clow is one of the greatest of the greats in advertising. He is also one of the industry’s longest-serving creatives. Clow’s advertising career, and the life of his agency (originally Chiat\Day), began in 1968. Last year was the fiftieth anniversary in the industry for both.
Clow is retiring – sort of. He has announced that he will leave his role as chairman of TBWA\Media Arts Lab and global director of media arts for TBWA Worldwide, but will move into an advisory role as chairman emeritus of TBWA\Media Arts Labs (MAL), the agency he founded in 2006 to service Apple.
That is absolutely fitting for the man who was the creative director behind the Ridley Scott-directed ad, 1984, which aired for Apple during Super Bowl XVIII in 1984 and reimagined what advertising creative could be. The ad nearly didn’t make it to the Big Game. It went to air against the wishes of Apple’s board of directors, who felt it was wasteful, but supported by Apple founder, Steve Jobs. It was only broadcast nationally once – although it ran on a few local TV channels on New Year’s Eve 1983 so that it would be eligible for the 1984 ad awards – but is still applauded in the lists of the world’s best ads.
Clow’s retirement on Valentine’s Day is not a coincidence. It’s a nod to founder, Jay Chiat’s, custom of sending Valentine’s Day cards to staff, colleagues and clients. Clow mimicked the tradition by writing a Love Note to Advertising, which reads: “Jay Chiat liked sending Valentines to the agency. I’ve never sent one. But I thought it would be a great way to end the celebration of Chiat\Day’s 50 years and my journey with the company.”
Why TBWAChiatDay is telling adland not to do the right thing
Clow’s advertising career began in 1968 as an art director at the L.A. office of agency, N.W. Ayer. He joined Chiat/Day as an art director in 1973 – the result of a year-long campaign to hire him called Hire the Hairy. In 1977, he was promoted to associate creative director, in 1982 he became creative director of the Chiat\Day’s L.A. office and in 1984 he was made chief creative officer and senior art director for Chiat/Day (by then it also had offices in San Francisco and New York).
In 1988 Chiat/Day was named Adweek’s US Agency of the Year, although it had lost apple two years prior. The agency’s fortunes went up and down over the next few years until in 1995, facing intense financial pressure, Chiat/Day was acquired by Omnicom and merged with TBWA. Clow was an enthusiastic supporter of the merger.
In 1997, Steve Jobs returned to apple after a hiatus and Apple returned to TBWA\Chiat\Day. Clow led Apple’s famous Think Different campaign. Its TVC, Here’s to the Crazy Ones, became the first TV commercial to win an Emmy. Clow was inducted into the One Club Hall of Fame and TBWA\Chiat\Day was named Adweek’s US Agency of the Year for the second time.
The version that didn’t run:
https://youtu.be/8rwsuXHA7RA
The one that did:
https://youtu.be/cFEarBzelBs
In 1999, Clow became chairman of TBWA Worldwide.
In 2004, Clow received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Clios. TBWA\Chiat\Day launched adidas, Impossible is Nothing and the agency named became Adweek’s US Agency of the Year for the third time.
In 2006, Clow launched the dedicated Apple creative agency, TBWA\Media Arts Lab. In 2009, he stepped down as chief creative officer of TBWA\Media Arts Lab. He gave the role to Duncan Milner, a longtime creative leader on the Apple account.
In 2010, Adweek names Apple’s, Get a Mac (2006) the Campaign of the Decade. In 2013, Clow was awarded the Lion of St Mark lifetime achievement award by Cannes Lions. In 2015 he was inducted into Advertising Hall of Fame and in 2018 he was inducted into American Marketing Association’s Hall of Fame.
