Among the organisations he has antagonised is Apple and the Advertising Standards Authority. The latter complained about the store's 'Ride a cock hoarse' window poster at the time of the Grand National, while Apple was angered by the emulation of its advertising style for Ann Summers' iGasm product.
Lee is now marketing director of women's underwear outfit DB Apparel, which counts Wonderbra among its brands, and it's clear his use of cheeky advertising is unlikely to change. Although one wonders whether he will still be able to launch promotions to match the tone of Naughty Nurses Day and Carpet Burns Night.
Lee's present role might be at odds with his love of Arsenal Football Club, but "the first marketing director of DB Apparel not to wear a bra" has a long CV when it comes to managing women's brands. In addition to his three years at Ann Summers, Lee has also held down roles at Virgin Cosmetics and The Body Shop.
"I've always been comfortable with women's brands," he says. "My parents were hairdressers and ran a perfumery which we lived above. My childhood included brands like Elizabeth Arden."
Lee's brief is to inject some life into DB's three main brands, the Shockabsorber sports bra, old stalwart Playtex and Wonderbra's padded bra. He says the three have clear strengths in the marketplace, but believes they need to be shouted about more, both in media and retail.
"Shockabsorber is a rising star for us," Lee says. "It's number one in the market, but we need to grow awareness. It's got greater return per square foot than any other product in the sector and it's about getting that out there, both to the accounts and consumers."'
Lee sees the company's Playtex brand as an old favourite. A more popular product on the Continent, it still has a core following among older consumers in the UK. There is also room to expand the Playtex brand, which is all about providing a comfortable fit. Lee believes this is possible because of rising interest in the issue that has been generated by TV shows like Trinny and Susannah Undress the Nation and What Not to Wear.
Lastly there is Wonderbra. The product became notorious in the 1990s but has since come under attack from fashion-led rivals. As a result, the company is looking at creating alternative displays and ways of building the brand in-store.
Switching from a retailer to FMCG, Lee admits the inability to control the presentation of product in-store can be frustrating. While branded units have created about a 30 per cent increase in sales in independent stores it can prove difficult fitting these into the likes of Debenhams and John Lewis.
In terms of promotions, a long list of initiatives are planned for next year. Foremost among these is a need to build up the online database.
"Ann Summers had a list of about 600,000 names which we could target offers at," says Lee. The most eye-catching work is likely to be for Wonderbra, with a model search under consideration. "It's a brand that can be at the top of the news agenda. If you see any model being written about she's always described as a 'former Wonderbra model'. So we're considering doing a model search. If any brand can do this it's us.
"Wonderbra is the same as Ann Summers in that it's fun and sexy." One of the issues surrounding the brand is that it has become as generic as Google and Hoover, which can make life difficult. But Lee is happy with this. "That's not a bad thing as everyone knows what it stands for."
It is early days yet for Lee, but he is looking forward to the different challenges that await him on the horizon. "It sounds flippant, but at Ann Summers I was on my fourth Nurses Day and my third or fifth Carpet Burns Night and I couldn't do one more. This is a new challenge."
QUESTIONNAIRE
- What would you do if you weren't in marketing?
I'd write comedy for a meagre living. I used to write for a topical satirical review show in Brighton, called The Treason Show, but my kids leave little time to write these days ... One day I'll get my life back!
- What would you do if you won the lottery?
Write comedy and care less about my meagre living
- What is your favourite book?
To Kill a Mockingbird. My son is named Atticus after the book's heroic lead character.
CURRICULUM VITAE
2007-present: Marketing director, DB Apparel
2003-2007: Head of marketing, Ann Summers
1996-2003: Head of communications, Virgin Cosmetics
1994-1996: Group product manager, The Body Shop
1991-1994: Product manager, McBride