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Vol. IUpdated November 20261,425 termsCambridge and Toronto

The Madison Avenue Field GuideA field guide to marketing & advertising, by Brandon Mina

LegendsLee Clow

Art director and creative director · 1943, born

Lee Clow

The bearded Californian art director behind "1984," "Think Different" and a pink bunny with a drum.

By Brandon MinaCEO, BrandPilot AIUpdated November 2026

Mid-century gouache-and-ink portrait illustration of Lee Clow, in the style of a 1960s magazine ad
Lee Clow. An illustration, not a photograph.

What Lee proved

  1. A brand can stand for a point of view, not a feature list: "Think Different."
  2. A character can carry a brand for decades: the Energizer Bunny.
  3. A long creative partnership with a client, as with Steve Jobs at Apple, produces the best work.

[Jay Chiat] pushed us to the edge, and when we got there, he challenged us to find a way to fly.

Lee Clow · On Jay Chiat, quoted by The New York Times, 2002 · Source

Key campaigns

  • Apple "1984" (with Steve Hayden)
  • Apple "Think Different"
  • The Energizer Bunny
  • Taco Bell chihuahua

The agency

  • Chiat/Dayto the 1995 mergerOn the Agency Wall
  • TBWA\Worldwidechairman, after 1995

Terms from the work

Each one opens its glossary entry.

Sources

The portrait is an illustration made for this guide, not a photograph.