“Inspiration is random. Creativity, premeditated” - Lee Clow
Getting an opportunity to work with any of the creative staff at TBWA would be an unsurpassable and awe-inspiring learning experience; and it is not TBWA’s style to entertain hyperbole.
However, one creative director stands out among the all-star staff at TBWA, and that is the bearded advertising legend, Lee Clow.
Clow is a man that, “creates culture, rather than just commercials” (adage.com). Clow’s official position is Global Director of Media Arts, TBWA\Worldwide. He has been working in the Advertising Industry for over 40 years and believes that advertising needs to communicate a brand’s soul to consumers, Clow says, “Great brands have a story, our job is to tell them”(MAD). Clow is most famous for his 1984 Apple commercial which aired during the super bowl of that year. The 1984 Apple Computer advertisement made history as a ground breaking advertising endeavor which, today, remains possibly the greatest ad ever made (tbwa.com). Since then, Clow has been working with Apple on every one of their campaigns.
In 2006 Lee Clow started the Media Arts Lab (MAL). MAL is now a department of TBWA that, theoretically, works with companies to create a brand experience, a living, breathing and emotional character that goes deeper than a simple TV ad. Lee Clow’s creation, MAL, worked to morph the Apple brand into an “experience”, helping design the New York City Mac Store and breathing new life into the way people approach advertising (adage.com). Lee Clow revolutionized brand imaging, creating more than a catchy slogan, but an atmosphere. The Media Lab “…is a place for experimentation for new ideas about connecting people with brands”, which is exactly what Clow believes advertising should be doing in the fast-paced world of constant media consumption (open.mytbwa.com).
Lee Clow has been inducted into the Art Director’s Hall of fame, as well as the One Club Hall of Fame, the Museum of Modern Art's Advertising Hall of Fame, and the Clio Awards honored him with a Lifetime Achievement Award”(tbwa.com). Clow is a visionary, a man who is not just in advertising to become a billionaire, but rather to communicate with consumers on a more intimate and unchartered level. Lee Clow is a laid back and fun-loving creative director, who loves California sun and according to his Twitter page Lee Clow believes, “Real thought leaders lead by doing” and that is exactly what Clow has done in his extensive creative career (@leeclowsbeard). Clow has lead TBWA into a new generation of thought and has proven that he is a true leader and revolutionary.
