Day 5: June 23rd 2023

Thankfully after resting and a lot of vitamin C, I was feeling good enough to go to the festival. Today we had Lee Clow’s showing of his film “Here’s To The Crazy Ones” and I was beyond excited to see the premiere.

Lee Clow - Here’s To The Crazy Ones

I had no idea what to expect of this film, but I did recognize the title from the famous Apple commercials which I watched in many advertising classes at UM. The theater was packed with people and you could feel the energy in the room. Once Lee Clow came in, everybody got quiet and you could tell someone big had walked in. By chance, he sat in the row behind me and I felt so nervous to have a legend that close to me.

The film itself was remarkable. As soon as it was over, the room erupted in a standing ovation for Lee Clow. It talked about the early days of Chiat\Day in Los Angeles and all of the members that made their famous campaigns what they are. Lee Clow narrated and starred in the film, and we got to see his beginnings as a young art director to what he is today. We got to hear the behind the scenes from some of their most well-known campaigns such as the Energizer Bunny, Nike and Carl Lewis, and, of course, their history with Apple and Steve Jobs.

I can’t put into words what an honor it was to be there during the premiere of this film. Not only did I learn about some of the most famous ad campaigns in history, but I was also inspired to do work that is memorable and genuine. This film didn’t only highlight their wins. In fact, it focused a lot on the agency’s mistakes and shortcomings, but moreso on how they overcame them and proved themselves to be the best. The ads they chose weren’t the most expensive or intricate, which goes to show that advertising doesn’t need to be complicated. It was a reminder that simple and to the point go far in this business as long as they resonate with the consumer and provide a solution to a problem in their lives.

This felt like the perfect note to end the festival on, and I’ll forever be grateful to have been able to witness this film with Lee Clow in the same room.