Nearly a decade ago, after taking the helm of Apple’s dedicated agency, TBWA\Media Arts Lab, global chief executive Katrien De Bauw and global chief creative officer Brent Anderson went to lunch with the agency’s founder and legendary creative leader, Lee Clow.
Clow, who established TBWA\Media Arts Lab (MAL) in 2006, is most famous for helping to redefine Apple’s advertising with campaigns such as “1984,” which introduced Macintosh computers, and “Think Different” in 1997.
After hearing Clow’s stories of collaborating with the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, De Bauw left that meeting with a sense of trepidation, telling Anderson, “‘We better not f-ck this up.’”
“I could really feel the weight,” she told ADWEEK. “You walk in standing on the shoulders of giants. It comes with a huge responsibility.”
De Bauw and Anderson have led MAL for almost half of its existence, having started at the agency within a day of each other in 2016. Over that period, they’ve helped MAL expand both its global presence and the type of work it does for Apple, while aiming to raise its creative game. Earlier this year, as evidence of their achievements, Cannes Lions named Apple its Creative Marketer of the Year.
However, the pressure remains high to keep pace with Apple’s constant evolution.
“The MAL organization has changed to be able to deliver what Apple needs today, but also what we think it may need tomorrow,” De Bauw said. “If you only deliver what the client’s asking, then you’re always a little behind. You’ve got to take some chances and risks.”
A foundation of trust
MAL’s origins can be traced back to the storied friendship and creative partnership between Jobs and Clow, who was previously creative director at Chiat/Day, where he oversaw the “1984” ad.
Jobs, who was “unrelenting in his vision for Apple and his expectation for [its] advertising and marketing,” came to rely upon “Clow’s pure creative expression and ability to simplify and reduce,” Anderson said.
Clow proposed the idea of setting up a bespoke agency for Apple as the brand was preparing for a big milestone: the launch of the first iPhone in 2007.
“There was a need for a coordinated launch across multiple markets for the iPhone, the likes of which had never been seen before,” Anderson said. “It had to be flawless.”
Jobs was receptive to the idea, with one stipulation: that he continue to work with Clow and talent from Chiat/Day. And so, MAL was born.