Apple advertising guru says he's 'not going anywhere'

Last week, Clow was alleged to be relinquishing his role as the head of TBWA, as well as his involvement in Apple advertisements. The misunderstanding stemmed from the fact that Duncan Milner has taken Clow's role as chief creative officer of TBWA/Media Arts Lab. In response, Clow refuted the reports.

Clow reportedly sent the following e-mail, a copy of which was provided to AppleInsider to employees at his agency:

So we tried to promote Duncan Milner because of the great job he's been doing leading the Media Arts Lab and look at how the blogosphere decided to make it a conversation about me. As you all know, I'm here every day meddling in everything that goes on, pushing the creative on many brands including keeping an eye on Apple. I remain Chairman of MAL, Global Creative Director of Media Arts and Chief Creative Officer of TBWA Worldwide. I'm not going anywhere. Love, Lee

Clow, 66, has a storied career in the world of advertising, and many of his most noteworthy accomplishments are tied to Apple. Perhaps his best-known work was behind the iconic "1984" TV spot that heralded the introduction of the Macintosh computer. The Ridley Scott-directed 60-second commercial aired during the third quarter of Super Bowl XVII on Jan. 22, 1984. It was made for a budget of $900,000 and is considered to be a masterpiece in advertising.

Clow and TBWA were also the minds behind Apple's "Think Different" campaign, the silhouette iPod advertisements, and the "Get a Mac" ads featuring actors John Hodgman as a PC and Justin Long as the Mac. Other memorable campaigns over his 40-year career include the creation of the Energizer Bunny and the Taco Bell Chihuahua.