Rob Lee was almost not Rob Lee. He was almost Ravenswood Marshall Fields Lee. Thanks to a friendly Chicago maternity nurse, he is Rob Lee. You should ask him to tell you that story some time.
Rob Lee is a producer with over 20 years of experience for clients including McDonald’s, Allstate, Toys R Us, Nintendo, Oldsmobile, Heinz, Clorox, ConAgra, EA, ESPN, Levi's, Intel, Google Pixel Slate, and The AdCouncil. Rob Lee loves being an agency producer for all the reasons he hires the same driver every time he’s in Cape Town—it’s a much better job when you really know and trust the people you work with every day.
It might have been this gift for building relationships that took a much younger Rob Lee from being an admin in the account service department at Leo Burnett to an Associate Producer role there. Or, it might have been the many hats he wears. Not figuratively. He literally owns a lot of fun hats. Either way, 20+ years later he still loves making stuff with other people who love making stuff.
FREELANCE
Senior Content Producer | 2014 - now
Clients - Electronic Arts, Levi's, Intel, 2K Games/WWE, Southwest Airlines, Google Pixel Slate, Welcoming America, The AdCouncil
DDB SAN FRANCISCO
Senior Content Producer | 2009 – 2014
Producer | 2003-2009
Clients – Clorox, ConAgra, ESPN, FLIP Digital Video Camera
LEO BURNETT
Associate Producer | 2000-2003
Creative Coordinator | 1999-2000
Administrative Assistant | 1998-1999
Clients – McDonald’s, Allstate, Toys R Us, Nintendo, Philip Morris, Oldsmobile, Heinz
THINGS PEOPLE HAVE SAID ABOUT ROBLEE
“When I think about what I love about Rob, The Wizard of Oz comes to mind. Rob is the Scarecrow, Lion and Tin Man all rolled into one. He is smart, brave and has a huge heart. I would gladly lock arms and follow Rob Lee down any road any day. ”
“I had the pleasure of working with Rob for ~10 years. He is a world class producer! Rob is creative, resourceful, unflappable and the consummate professional. He managed multiple complex, international shoots with style, ease and confidence. Rob has a vision, but listens attentively to feedback along the way and behaves respectfully to clients, creatives and his team. Additionally, Rob consistently delivered on time and under budget. If I were starting my own agency and could hire one producer, it would be Rob.”
“Simply put, I would follow Rob Lee into a volcano. Of all the producers I have ever worked with across five agencies, two continents and 18 years in the business, he is the one I trust absolutely. I know that if Rob is on the case, he will find the best director, make the money work, fight for the creative integrity of the project and keep everyone sane (and entertained) throughout the process.
And much like MacGyver, Rob can make something pretty amazing out of nothing. Every time I thought a budget or a timeline was impossible, he would prove me wrong. ”
“I credit Rob Lee as the inventor of the 45 minute pre-pro and an absolute pro at making that happen.”
“When i first came to America 10 years ago Rob Lee was one of the first agency producers i worked with.
I just wish he produced all my spots from then on.”
“Rob Lee’s irreverent, well-timed humor and charm keeps the often tense and mine-field-esqe process of producing great advertising incredibly calm and straightforward. He is unflappable with his demeanor and politeness but keeps firm control with his confident matter-of-factness. He seeks to be supportive of the creative process for his creatives, his production team all whilst keeping the project on target for his client’s needs. If George Clooney was ever to be reincarnated as an Asian-American agency producer… he would be Rob Lee.”
“Other than Zombie, Rob Lee is the most capable Rob on this planet. He would be my first hire if I was looking for a producer to guide great creative. ”
“Rob Lee is one of my all-time favorite agency producers. He’s calm, quick on his feet, knows how to solve problems and a friend to everyone. Productions with him are fun, but he knows how to buckle down when things need to happen. His agency people love and respect him, as do production people. He’s an absolute pleasure to be around. I wish I was related to him. I wish he was my brother.”
“We’ve worked with Rob for 15 years and were often sad when we weren’t able to work with him (no offense to those other producers we had to work with, of course). When we had the opportunity to direct an insanely low budget, generally impossible to pull off spot, he magically pulled it off. Masterfully. Thanks to Rob, that spot paved the way for our move over to the world of directing. We want to take him with us. ”
“Agency producers are often knowledgeable of their clients’ needs, they sometimes have the people skills to promote a balance between the creatives vision and the realities of production, rarely are they truly creative or knowledgeable about production. Rob Lee is all of that wrapped in a bundle of boundless energy, enthusiasm, intelligence and experience. It is these combination of qualities and skills that allows him to consistently go out of the expected in search of the best creative and economically viable solution.”
“Rob Lee is an asset to any production. His producing skills are, frankly, a little magical. Able to support creative effortlessly and give everyone involved a chance to bring some awesome. Who could ask for more? He’s also a stand up gentleman. I would let him produce at me any day of the week.”