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Intermediate
Think Different: Advertising Wisdom from Lee Clow
Unpack the creative philosophy, legendary career, and timeless wisdom of advertising's greatest icon
Lee Clow75 min8 lessonsIntermediate
Learn to Think Like the Greatest Creative Mind in Advertising History
Lee Clow didn't just make great ads. He built belief systems for brands. From a surfboard-riding kid in Southern California to the creative visionary behind Apple's most iconic campaigns, Lee's journey is one of the most instructive stories in the history of advertising β and this course unpacks every lesson hiding inside it.
This isn't a biography. It's a masterclass extracted from a rare, intimate interview with Lee himself. We've taken his words, his stories, and his philosophy and transformed them into an interactive learning experience designed to challenge how you think, create, and lead.
What You'll Experience
- Video excerpts from Lee's interview, so you hear the wisdom in his own voice
- Narrative lessons that contextualize his stories within the broader arc of advertising history
- Quizzes that test whether you've truly absorbed the principles β not just the facts
- Exercises that push you to apply Lee's philosophy to your own work and brands
The Big Ideas You'll Take Away
- Why consuming input obsessively is the foundation of all creative output
- How non-conformity and a surfer's mindset became a creative superpower
- What Bill Bernbach, Jay Chiat, and Steve Jobs all had in common β and what Lee learned from each
- Why everything a brand does is advertising β and how to think in those terms
- The story behind Think Different: how a long weekend and a shared belief system saved Apple
- Why the best creative relationships are built on trust, not control
Pro Tip: Don't just watch and read. Lee's philosophy only becomes yours when you test it against real briefs, real brands, and real creative challenges. Use the exercises in this course to make his wisdom your own.
Who This Course Is For
This course is for anyone who wants to understand what separates good advertising from legendary advertising β whether you're a student just starting out, a creative director looking to reconnect with your instincts, or a brand leader trying to build something that lasts.
Curriculum
- 1The Artist Who Paid Attention: Lee Clow's Origin StoryFree10m
- 2The School of Hard Knocks: From NW Ayer to Chiat/DayFree10m
- 3Everything a Brand Does Is Advertising: Lee's Brand PhilosophyFree12m
- 4Think Different: The Weekend That Saved AppleFree12m
- 5Test Your Lee Clow IQ: The Creative Philosophy QuizFree8m
- 6The Mentor Effect: What Lee Learned from Jay, Guy, and SteveFree10m
- 7Apply the Philosophy: Build a Brand Belief SystemFree15m
- 8The Legend's Legacy: What Lee Clow Leaves BehindFree8m
Frequently Asked Questions
No β the course is designed to stand on its own. Key video excerpts are embedded throughout the lessons so you experience Lee's words in context. If you have access to the full interview, it will enrich your experience, but it's not required.
Both β but the emphasis is firmly on learning. Lee's life story is the vehicle, but every lesson extracts a transferable principle or creative philosophy that you can apply to your own work. Think of it as wisdom disguised as biography.
Absolutely. Lee's core principles β consuming input, building trust, understanding brand totality, and rejecting 'good enough' β apply to any brand at any scale. The Apple stories are illustrations, not prerequisites.
The course is designed to take approximately 75 minutes in total, though the exercises may take longer if you engage deeply. You can move through it at your own pace and return to video excerpts as many times as you like.
This course transforms passive watching into active learning. By combining narrative context, editorial analysis, quizzes, and hands-on exercises, it forces you to internalize Lee's philosophy rather than simply observe it.