Clow Earns Second WSAAA Leader Of The Year Award

For only the second time since the advent of the award, the Western States Advertising Agencies Association has selected a Leader of the Year who has previously been honored by the organization.
Lee Clow, chairman of TBWA Chiat/Day and its chief creative officer worldwide, was named 1997’s Leader of the Year, recognizing his contributions to the Southern California ad industry. He will be honored at the WSAAA’s annual dinner, scheduled for Feb. 26 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles.
“It was a landmark year for both the agency and Lee,” said Mark Bilfield, WSAAA president and director of integrated marketing at Saatchi & Saatchi, Los Angeles, noting the agency’s
big account wins: ABC Television, Apple Computer and Taco Bell. “He is the pre-eminent creative force in Southern California.”
Clow won the award 14 years ago. He joins his former colleague Jay Chiat, co-founder of Chiat/Day, as the only two-time WSAAA honorees.
There was some debate among WSAAA board members about Clow’s nomination since he had already won the award, noted John Fuller, co-chairman of this year’s event and president of The Fuller Group. “What it boiled down to was, who made the biggest impact last year,” he said. “Of course, it was Lee.”
Also co-chairing this year’s event is Hank Wasiak, McCann-Erickson’s executive vice president and managing director for the West Coast.