David Lee has made stops at top creative agencies including Sid Lee, AKQA, Wieden+Kennedy and TBWA/Worldwide. But arguably, he’s made his most significant imprint on the creative landscape with the string of standout ideas he has led as chief creative officer of Squarespace. Since he took the helm at the website building and hosting platform in 2013, it’s become famous for its entertaining and platform-spanning campaigns starring numerous celebrities including John McEnroe, Jeff Bridges, Idris Elba, Winona Ryder and John Malkovich (the latter earned an Emmy).  

Under Lee’s leadership, Squarespace charged on in 2021. McEnroe became the latest celebrity spokesperson in a tie-in with Netflix highlighting his unexpected new career as a voiceover artist, while the "Everything to Sell Anything” campaign repositioned the brand as a platform for its customers to promote any type of product or service, including motivation, craftsmanship and robots.

Lee also led the charge on the brand’s international marketing expansion, with campaigns designed to resonate in their respective markets. For example, the Australian effort, “Make a Name for Yourself,” played with Aussies’ love for nicknames and highlighted how websites can help redefine their creators. 

“He constantly pushes us to think about in-house creativity differently,” said Creativity Awards juror Nathaniel Ru, co-founder and chief brand officer of Sweetgreen.

“He’s made something emotional that shouldn’t necessarily be emotional,” added fellow juror Ricardo Viramontes, chief creative officer at The Springhill Company. “You now have an association with Squarespace that you don’t with anything else in that world.”