Ideas That Stick with Advertising Legend Lee Clow | A Bit of Optimism Podcast

Lee Clow says Steve Jobs could “see two horizons further,” set extremely high expectations, and was “fearless.” He adds that Jobs not only pushed people, but could also recognize when the work had reached “the high ground,” which Clow contrasts with leaders who demand greatness but can’t recognize it.

Lee Clow explains that many CEOs don’t trust creativity because it’s “not rational” and relies on intuition, while Jobs trusted that intuition. He also argues that company leadership often comes from “management” rather than “developers, thinkers, creative people,” leaving creativity treated like a department rather than the company’s center.

Lee Clow says the impetus behind Apple’s “1984” spot was “democratizing technology,” and that the ad helped change the Super Bowl by giving creatives and clients permission to invest in brave, expensive commercials. He also clarifies that the “ran only once” story became legend; the reality involved board resistance and Jobs deciding to run a remaining spot anyway.

Simon Sinek laments that manifesto-style advertising has been replaced by more product-driven messaging, and Lee Clow attributes much of that shift to the changed media landscape and algorithm-driven internet advertising. Clow still believes future creatives can make bold, beautiful work in the new “mediascape,” but it must be captivating enough that people choose to share it.

Lee Clow says sticky ideas come from giving a brand a distinctive personality and cultural relevance, so people want to identify with it. He describes his “yardstick” as whether people would proudly “wear their T-shirt,” rooted in his own experience wanting to belong to a surfboard brand community.