Lee Clow: Apple's "Think Different" Ad Guru Steps Down From Post As Chief Creative Officer (VIDEO)

*See video below*

Lee Clow, chief creative officer at Apple's longtime ad agency TBWA/Media Arts Lab, announced that he will be stepping down from his post as chief creative officer.

Clow contributed to some of Apple's most famous and successful advertising campaigns, including the "1984" commercial that introduced the Mac computer, Apple's "Think Different" campaign, its iPod ads, and the "Mac vs. PC" commercials. (Watch them below)

Advertising Age writes,

Media Arts Lab was founded in 2006 to serve Apple, as well as embody Mr. Clow's vision of a new type of ad agency that makes culture, rather than just commercials.

In his more than 40 years in advertising, he is best known for his work for Apple, which includes what many have called the best commercial of all time, "1984," that launched the Macintosh computer; the now iconic dancing silhouettes for the iPod; and the more recent "Mac vs. PC" campaign featuring actors John Hodgman and Justin Long.

According to Print Magazine, Clow said, "The Apple Store was probably the best ad we ever did.... Everything a brand does is advertising."

MediaPost speculates,

By relinquishing the creative lead on the account that has distinguished his storied career, Clow, 66, appears to be moving toward retirement.

See some of Apple's most iconic ads below. Vote on your favorite!

Quick Poll

Which is the best Apple ad?

1984

Think Different

iPod

Mac vs. PC

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Comments

[MrVee]

These Mac vs PC ads were probably most effective in that they don't assume the listener has any ability to process the information in them. These ads compare hardware to software, Mac which is hardware to Windows which is software. They don't compare the Mac to Dell, AlienWare,Toshiba or HP, and HP and Alienware makes some of the most stylish looking laptops on the planet but they don't compare hardware to hardware. They don't even make an attempt to compare Leopard to Windows, feature for feature. If they did, most will determine as I did there is nothing Leopard as an operating system can do that the Windows operating system cannot do equally well if not better. This includes the much maligned Microsoft Vista SP1 and none seem to notice.
Anyway, those ads were simple and easy to understand. And for that niche market, it sells product.

[jdunaway65]

Ummm, NO. It's not hardware vs. software. Can you run Mac OS X on your PC? Not without some serious megahacking. It is about the abilities of the Mac OS vs. the shortcomings of Windows -- almost every reference in the commercials is about how the operating system works. If Windows was available only for Dells, then it would have been Mac vs. Dell commercials...

[Eris23]

Actually, yes, I can run OS X on a PC using nothing but a downloaded installer disk that automates the process. It's quite simple actually.

[WilliamTheV]

The Mac vs. PC ads used to be ok, when they were original, but now they're just beating a dead horse. I get it, most people can't troubleshoot their problems and navigate a GUI to install divers by double clicking a package and selecting install... But now whenever i see these, I just get insulted by Apple's marketing department (I used my earning from my first job to build a pc, and learn about computers in the process, I've never had to use Tech support as a result) and now they don't even advertise their own product, they just say "If it doesn't have an Apple logo on it, it sucks, and you suck by association, all PC users are either drones in suits or closet mac hopefuls" Don't like windows? use linux, don't like linux? use a different distro or go BSD; don't like either? load up snow leopard on a Hackintosh box. no matter what, it's a pc.

[sprtakis69]

Well I've got to say I've loved the Mac ads even though I was a PC. ;-)

I bought my first MacBook, and I say first because, well, once you go Mac, you never go back. Anyway, I bought my first Mac merely because it was on clearance and many of my PC friends had already converted to Mac and always talk about how great they are. Being an "IT" and working on PC's my entire career I had no intention of becoming a Mac user. Oh what a relief it is to now be using a Mac! I had no idea how great Macs are.

I get frustrated now when I go to work and have to use this PC!!! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/30/lee-clow-apples-think-dif_n_339805.html#

[MrVee]

You should try Linux Ubuntu Karmic Koala.

[jeema2Oo]

The Mac vs PC campaign is what has helped me over my nostalgia for the old Apple and to finally lothe all things Apple and especially Apple users.

[Matt7]

Congratulations on some excellent creative advertisement. If lee Clow's considering retirement, he's earned his keep.

I've only known/worked with PCs, but the MAC vs PC ad made me seriously consider switching.

[CanadianBeef]

The success of the "Think Different" campaign was a nightmare to every English teacher, and to every person who "writes good". Also it was ugly to see real heroes such as Mohatma Ghandi turned into computer icons. Other than that, great work.

[NHBill]

struggling with the outside of the box there?

[Winthorpe]

Reverend!

[palindrom]

Ah ha, you've hit a nerve, and another source of pointless overwrought discussion threads that go nowhere -- the debate between prescriptive and descriptive grammar. The latter would say that "think different" is fine, on the sensible ground that everyone understands exactly what it means and it gets its point across gracefully. The former would say that "different" is filling the role of an adverb and must take a suffix "-ly". But that spoils the punch of the original.

As for me, I figure there's an obvious distinction between colloquial usage and formal "standard English". This is colloquial usage. If anything, it offers an English teacher a nice, memorable example to use when they teach how to use adjectives in formal prose.

Incidentally, some of the rules of standard English have no basis at all in the language itself, and no purpose, but were promulgated in the 18th Century by self-appointed experts. The prohibition of splitting infinitives is a perfect example -- they're not a problem at all in English, but in Latin you can't split infinitives, so these so-called experts said you _shouldn't_ split infinitives. Bah.

Can't we all get along?

[Josh Davis 1]

this debate between apple and pc is starting to get stale. Get over yourselves. I'm happy with my mac book. does that bother you?

[NHBill]

amen

[pjaader]

It seems to me the people who object the most to the choice of PC operating systems and hardware brands of other people are the folks in the Apple marketing department.

Just saying...

[ljblinddog]

Apples are so easy that even Rush Limbaugh and George Bush can use them.

[bebopman21]

That's a pretty nice set of ads/ideas to have as your legacy. Congrats!

[ljblinddog]

I remember getting up on 9/11/01 and thinking to my self— Britney Spears is a pop icon, most of the world is on the fifth worst computer operating system and the dumb guy won the election…are we going to be alright?

[Unimatrix42]

Lee Clow is an absolute genius. What a nice treat to see these ads all together in one place.

I'll save my MS bashing and lulz for CNET.

(I lurve my Mac! WOO-HOO!)

[insideoutgraphics]

MAC , fits me. And gets you where you want to go,without all the extra clicking. Hope that Apple can continue to find talented Adv. people. Fabulous minds, produce fabulous ads.. However, It seems as though Lee Clow, would be a tough act to follow. But I'm certain Apple will continue to break the barriers despite not having Clow at the drawing board. Lot of talent out there. Thank you for changing the world of adv. which make one think, rather than blindly follow. And thank you for not insulting our intelligence with irrelevant bits of 60 sec. no brainer's.

[Eris23]

"MAC , fits me. And gets you where you want to go,without all the extra clicking."

Really? Media Access Control does that for you?

[NHBill]

who is this yahoo

[insideoutgraphics]

Ersa23, Hi ! I'm a MAC, and you must be a PC.

Not sure where you are going with Media Access Control statement, but then again, I'm just a MAC Head. Gee, I even purchased my first MAC, based not on Commercial ads, but because it suits my needs. And it all came in one box.

Now Now there, Ahh, come on PC. I'm sure that you've got some great killer apps. you would like to tell us about.

Meanwhile, I've got an iMovie I need to finish.

Oh PC. Don't do this, stop crying.

[molomolo]

I have been a computer user, personal and otherwise, dating back to mainframes in the sixties. I have used, and still use, both a Mac and a PC. I keep the PC just to run some favorite software I have become accustomed to. But it still drives me nuts. I keep waiting for Microsoft to actually improve their operating system, but the only time they have really done so is replacing ME with XP. Vista is a clunker. OSX runs. Period. I have no vested interest in the argument, but I hate chewing my nails and swearing.

[knut]

I have had my breath taken away by an ad only once in my life. Three weeks in LA after a decade abroad and feeling the stranger in a strange land, I came upon an LA city bus with a larger than life size bw photo of Rosa Parks sitting in her seat covering one side, and the words 'Think Different' about a foot high along the bottom . There was never a better match of form and content, despite the bad grammar, and it cut to the quick.

As to the flame war that inevitably flares whenever an OS is mentioned, I am paunchy and balding, unlike the actor in the Apple spots. I've done creative work for 20+ years on all sorts of computers ( lisp, unix, irix, linux, mac, pc, etc). When it comes down, as it does for me, to horsepower/cost, pcs are the way to go. When something better comes along, I'll use that.

[Eris23]

"When it comes down, as it does for me, to horsepower/cost, pcs are the way to go. When something better comes along, I'll use that."

And that's all she wrote. :)

[NHBill]

enuf. we get it you like pc's

[Skyhawk]

I'm a PC user, but I give where credit is due. Outstanding work Mr. Clow!