| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | April 1, 1982 |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon, USA |
| Key people | Founders: Dan Wieden, David Kennedy |
| Industry | Business Services |
| Products | Advertising & Marketing |
| Website | www.wk.com |
Wieden+Kennedy (W+K; earlier spelled Wieden & Kennedy) is an independently owned American advertising agency best known for its work for Nike. Founded by Dan Wieden and David Kennedy on April 1, 1982, in Portland, Oregon, it is one of the largest independently-owned advertising agencies in the world.
Contents |
History
W+K came to prominence in the 1980s with its iconic work for Nike, including the tagline "Just Do It." It remained headquartered in Portland.[1] Over the years the agency has added offices in New York City, London, Amsterdam, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo and Delhi. W+K's turbulent relationship with former client Subaru is the basis of Randall Rothenberg's 1995 book Where the Suckers Moon: The Life and Death of an Advertising Campaign. In 2002, the Gunn Report named W+K as the most-awarded agency in the world,[2] and the agency was AdWeek's "Global Agency of the Year" in 2007.[3]
Wieden+Kennedy had created original contents for various brands under the moniker ‘W+K Entertainment’ since 2001. Its productions include Battlegrounds[4], an MTV2 series showcasing street basketball;[5] Ginga[6], a documentary about Brazilian football (soccer) players; and Road to Paris[7], documenting Lance Armstrong's path to his third Tour de France victory in 2001.
In 2003, Wieden+Kennedy created W+K Tokyo Lab, a record label and creative workshop based out of the agency's Tokyo office. Since 2003, W+K Tokyo Lab has released CD/DVD titles that combine music, graphics, and film. Tokyo Lab's current roster features local hip-hop and electronic artists including Hifana, DJ Uppercut, Afra, and Takagi Masakatsu. They launched Wieden+Kennedy 12 in 2004, which is a 13-month experimental advertising program that accepts 13 applicants each year for an intensive laboratory experience where students work for real clients under the direction of members of the W+K Portland office.
Wieden+Kennedy debuted their LunchBox series in 2006, an afternoon showcase of established and emerging musical artists in the atrium of W+K's Portland office. Past concerts have featured Janelle Monae, Art Brut, The Rapture, Son Volt, Lyrics Born, Ladytron, Cut Chemist, Cold War Kids, Nada Surf, Juliette and the Licks, and Pete Yorn. Wieden+Kennedy exploration into original programming was started on late 2008 with WK Radio[8], and subsequently on Fall 2009 with WKE (WKEntertainment).
The company's advertisement for Coke that was created for the 2008 Super Bowl, "It's Mine", was named as the best Super Bowl commercial for the decade by Adweek magazine.[9] The magazine also picked W+K's "Grrr" for Honda as the overall commercial of the decade.[9] Meanwhile Bob Garfield of Advertising Age added Wieden+Kennedy's "Go Forth" for Levi's as one of the worst ads in 2009.[9]
Selected notable campaigns
Nike
- Bo Knows, featuring football/baseball crossover phenom Bo Jackson
- Air Jordan ads featuring Spike Lee as "Mars Blackmon"
- Charles Barkley's I Am Not a Role Model ad
- Revolution, featuring the Beatles song "Revolution."[10][11]
- Instant Karma, featuring the song "Instant Karma!" by John Lennon
- If You Let Me Play campaign empowering girls to participate in character-building team sports
- Noted Nike basketball ads starring Penny Hardaway (Li'l Penny), and LeBron James (the LeBrons)
- Lance Armstrong's LIVESTRONG yellow bracelet campaign to raise funds for cancer research
- Pretty, featuring tennis player Maria Sharapova
Coke
- The Coke Side of Life campaign, including Video Game, featuring a tough guy video game character who experiences a change of heart after drinking a Coke (thematically centered upon the video game series Grand Theft Auto)
- Yours, Diet Coke campaign, as seen during the 2007 Academy Awards
ESPN
- This is SportsCenter campaign, a satirical look behind the scenes at ESPN headquarters
- Your NBA Destination campaign, marking ESPN as the Destination for all things NBA.
Honda
- Grrr, featuring the song "Hate Something, Change Something" as voiced by Garrison Keillor
- Cog, a Rube Goldberg-esque assembly of the separate parts of a Honda
- Impossible Dream, a two-minute long showcase of the variety of Honda vehicles
Miller Brewing
- The High Life Man, directed by award-winning filmmaker Errol Morris
Old Spice
- Experience is Everything campaign featuring actor Bruce Campbell
References
- ^ Dougherty, Philip H. (February 21, 1986). The Rising Regional Agencies. New York Times
- ^ Wentz, laurel (November, 2002). The Gunn Report: Wieden runs to the top with awards for Nike work; First for U.S. shop; BBDO tops networks. Advertising Age
- ^ Global Agency of the Year: Wieden + Kennedy
- ^ "LeBron James, MTV2, Comcast, Charter, and Nike Join Forces for 'Nike Battlegrounds: King of the Court'". PRNewsWire. http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-01-2005/0004098574. Retrieved 2009-08-25. "Nike Battlegrounds is a Nike, Wieden + Kennedy Entertainment and @radical.media production in partnership with MTV2."
- ^ Staff report (June 16, 2004). MTV2, Nike Take to the Streets for 'Battlegrounds.' Zap2It.com
- ^ "Nike Ginga: The Soul Of Brazilian Football". December 14, 2005. http://www.4thegame.com/features/feature/181968/. Retrieved 2009-08-25. "...Ginga is a dynamic documentary that explores Brazil through the country's favorite sport."
- ^ "Wieden & Kennedy Looks To Branch Into Other Creative Areas". Business 2.0. September, 2009. http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/article/68763. Retrieved 2009-08-25. "W&K created a film around Nike endorser Lance Armstrong entitled "Road to Paris""
- ^ "WK Radio Facebook Group". http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=31126682187. Retrieved 2009-08-25. "WK Radio exists to inspire creativity through provocative conversations, interviews, and artistic expression relating to the arts, culture, music and media."
- ^ a b c Hunsberger, Brent (December 17, 2009). "Nike, Wieden+Kennedy haul in ad of the decade awards". The Oregonian. http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2009/12/nike_wiedenkennedy_haul_in_ad.html. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
- ^ Staff report (July 29, 1987). Beatles Company Sues Over Use of Song in Ad. New York Times
- ^ Pareles, Jon (August 5, 1987). Nike Calls Beatles Suit Groundless. New York Times
External links
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