Week 9 EOC: Art + Copy - Key Person

Meet Leew Clow

Lee Clow was born is Los Angeles in 1943 where he literally grew up on the beach. He credits his first grade teacher, Mrs. Rice, with recognizing his artistic potential. It all occurred very serendipitously with a little drawing of a boat Clow had made in class. It seems little Lee loved boats and realistically portrayed it right down to the curling eddies of smoke rising from its stack. Mrs. Rice immediately noticed his uncanny knack for detail and told Lee’s mom of his impending future as an artist. As a result, Mrs. Clow encouraged her son to continue drawing and painting. As Clow got older, he began to hone his artistic skills. He attended Santa Monica City College and received a two-year degree. His parents simply could not afford to send him to the more prestigious Art Center College of Design. Years later, as irony would have it, Clow was asked to teach there! It was also during this period that Clow’s distinct California personality crystallized. Inspired by the creative revolution of the just-completed decade of the sixties, Lee Clow was deeply influenced by the DDB team approach to advertising. At the time, it certainly caused a frisson of excitement, sending much needed shock waves of creativity throughout the industry. Wanting to have his cake and eat it too, Lee Clow set out to search for the perfect west coast agency that aspired to DDB’s principles. He simply refused to trade in his bathing trunks for a Brooks Brothers suit.

("Lee Clow." ADC • Global Awards & Club. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.)

Meet Mary Wells

Born: May 13, 1943

Died: July 26, 1992

Founder of the world famous "Motown Sound," Mary Wells is considered not only one of the best female singers in the music industry, but also a vital part of the success of the prestigious label. Wells' early years were not easy. As a small child, she suffered a bout of spinal meningitis, which left her temporarily paralyzed, with loss of hearing and partial blindness in one eye. She was always grateful, however, to regain her hearing and sight. As a talented teenager, Wells auditioned for Berry Gordy's Tamla Records as a songwriter, but instead received a contract to be a performer. 

In 1964, Wells' career reached a significant peak when her song, "My Guy," made it to No. 1 on the pop chart and became one of the year's best recordings. She also sang duets with Marvin Gaye, includng "Once Upon a Time," which reached No. 17 in 1964. The Beatles declared Mary Wells their favorite American singer, calling her "their sweetheart," and invited her to England to tour with them. Upon her return to the states, the Beatles sent Wells several compositions to be released on their next album. In 1990, Wells was diagnosed with larynx cancer, hindering her ability to sing. Despite her health condition, Wells was always upbeat and courageous. She began taking long trips, including one to New York in which she was the focus of a "Joan Rivers Show." Her tribute on the show included a warm and generous phone call from Little Richard and a loving video dedication from Stevie Wonder, who, in her honor, sang "My Guy" rewritten as "My Girl." In early fall of 1991, Mary traveled to Washington D.C., where she testified before a Congressional Committee concerning funding for cancer research. She said: "I'm here today to urge you to keep the faith. I can't cheer you on with all my voice, but I can encourage, and I pray to motivate you with all my heart and soul and whispers." After a bout of pneumonia, Wells was hospitalized once more and spent her last days at the Kenneth Norris Jr. Cancer Hospital. On July 26, 1992, the First Lady of Motown died. Gone was the soft, beautiful voice of Mary Wells.

("The Official Mary Wells Web Site." The Official Mary Wells Web Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.)

Meet Phyllis K. Robinson

Born in New York, Oct. 22, 1921; graduated with bachelor of arts degree, Barnard College, 1942; hired as copywriter, Bresnick & Solomont, Boston, 1946; joined Grey Advertising, New York, 1947; joined launch team of Doyle Dane Bernbach as copy chief, becoming first female copy chief in U.S. advertising, 1949; promoted to VP, 1956; inducted into Copywriters Hall of Fame, 1968; retired from DDB, 1982.

("Robinson, Phyllis K. (1921- )." Ad Age. N.p., 15 Sept. 2003. Web. 22 Mar. 2017.)