Owen Lee of FCB London on Shadowing Lee Clow to Learn the Ropes

Build it, don't break it

Owen is currently chief creative officer at FCB London. 

We spent two minutes with him to learn more about his background, his creative inspirations and recent work he’s admired. 

Owen, tell us …

Where you grew up, and where you live now.

I grew up in Bearstead in Kent where cricket has been played on the village green since 1749. I now live in the village of Fulmer in Buckinghamshire.

How you first realized you were creative.

As a kid I used to spend all of my pocket money on little plastic creatures which my mum thought was weird.

A moment from high school or college that changed your life.

On my first day at art college, we were asked to go to the local rubbish tip and come back with a piece of art. We left the room totally confused, having come out of the structured environment of school. But gradually, we all started finding stuff to create something new. I’m sure the art was literally trash. But it opened my mind to the concept of creative thinking.

Your most important creative inspirations, and some recent stuff you love.

I like meandering. Doing things without a specific purpose opens your mind. Our chief strategy officer, Ben Jaffé, and I wandered into Great St. Barts recently because he happened to know it is the oldest parish church in London. Odd stuff like that is inspiring.

One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on. 

“Dyslexic Thinking” with Virgin and LinkedIn. The reaction to it was really quite emotional.

A recent project you’re proud of. 

Andrex “First School Poo.” The number of parents who have told me how much it resonated with them has been amazing.

Someone else’s work you admired lately.

Mother’s KFC work is cultish, left field and batshit crazy. The ad industry needs work like that because it ups the game. Props to the clients for buying it.

Play

Your main strength as a creative person.

I hope that it’s generosity. I try to build rather than break, but this question is probably best answered by the people who work with me.

Your biggest weakness.

Indecision. 

A mentor who helped you navigate the industry.

Lee Clow. Not a mentor, but an inspiration. Gary Robinson and I turned up at Chiat/Day New York as students attempting to intern our way around the ad agencies of the world. Lee met us and thought what we were doing was “kinda cool” and he invited us to hang out with him in L.A. So we did and he gave us a lot of his time and treated us like one of the creative teams at C/D. We didn’t know quite how important he was at the time. But that generosity of spirit stayed with us.

What you’d be doing if you weren’t in advertising.

I would have loved to do something in wine, other than just drinking it.