WNTD

W+K London

One of the two walls we were able to photograph in the office.

More of a ceiling than a wall, really. This was just before the camera was confiscated.

So we took Anders to the pub on the corner instead. 

Where he drank a surprising amount for such a skinny guy.

Aaron Rose + Jim Riswold

 

Talented men with similar hats.

 http://www.allegedpress.com/     http://www.jimriswold.com/

Dan Wieden's speech at the 4A's

This is what I love about Dan. 

He was invited to speak at the 4A's, an advertising group that shunned W+K when they were a brand new no-name agency back in the 80's, and a group Dan has refused to join ever since. This is a conference where advertising people get together to talk about shit that really doesn't matter. Well, maybe some of it does, I've never been. I can only imagine the riveting discussions at the American Association of Advertising Agencies' yearly conference.

Dan is known by everyone at this little shindig as the man who penned Just Do It. He's half the name behind an agency that revolutionized advertising because they had the balls to say and do things no one else would. Their brilliance is using brands as a vehicle, not only to sell people crap they don't need, but they often use the industry to send important messages, messages of courage and determination and strength and truth, to huge audiences around the world through their televisions, magazines, radios and computers.  

But very few in the ad world know Dan for what I think is his most inspirational achievement, Camp Caldera. A camp of pure love he and his family built from the ground up that has changed the lives of kids who've faced challenges more difficult than most of us will ever know. What's important in life is what you give back, and just watching this video reminds me, once again, of all the things I've wanted to start but haven't yet found the time. 

It's people like Dan we should be following - people out there who are doing not just it, but IT.

Clios 2009: What happens in Vegas, might stay in Vegas

Tricia Krupa Cha, Claire Reynolds, Karen Monahan, Nick Law and Geoff Teehan. Drunk.

David Kennedy giving solo speech about Wieden, in front of a crowd, behind a podium? Now that's love. 

Tricia and Claire jetted off to the 50th Anniversary of The Clios in Vegas. Who knew Tricia was a candidate for Gamblers Anonymous? The Hard Rock Hotel was official headquarters, and between the riveting speakers including Tony Granger of Y&R, Anne Bologna/TOY, Daniel Stein/EVB, Rob Reilly/Crispin, MIke Geiger/Goodby, Karen Monahan/BBH and Nick Law R/GA to name a few, Tricia was hitting the blackjack tables in order to help WNTD maintain our high standard of living. 

A highlight was the Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Dan Wieden, an extraordinary man on so many levels who holds a very dear place in our hearts. Some of the other W+K big-wigs, Dave Luhr, Susan Hoffman, John Jay, Bill Davenport and one of the most wonderful people who walks this planet, David Kennedy, showed up to celebrate the occasion. Based on our previous experience, getting those people out the door and actually AT an event is no easy task, quite impressive.

The second highlight was....drumroll....no, it wasn't Matthew Weiner, the producer of MAD MEN, nor was it Mark Cuban, Chairman of HDNet and owner of the Dallas Mavericks and no, it wasn't even the Evolution of Dance guy from YouTube...

Two words: Barry Manilow.

All this experienced in Vegas by two girls in three days - gambling, swimming, connecting, talking, learning, laughing, drinking, dancing and getting to experience Barry Manilow's unbelievable plastic surgery up close and in person. 

Well worth the trip. Thank you, Clios. 

- WNTD

W+K 12

Today, Claire and I went to visit 12, the Wieden + Kennedy educational experiment that's a school, mini ad agency and idea factory that operates inside the W+K/Portland building. Thirteen students spend a year being exposed to interesting art projects, as well as real clients, to hone their creative problem solving skills, while experiencing the inner-workings of one of the most respected ad agencies in the world. Byron Oshiro and Jinnina Chiles, the team who makes things actually happen with 12, asked us to come share with the current students some of our experiences and thoughts when it comes to branding oneself to find a great job. And yes, companies are still hiring.

We've reviewed work with hundreds of creative people, which has taught us the importance of remembering creativity is subjective. No one is completely right or wrong because at the end of the day, it boils down to personal opinions. Now, if you show work you've created and love to those you admire and 9 out of 10 barf after seeing it, that might be a good sign you're headed in the wrong direction, or even in the wrong profession. Or perhaps you're just showing it to the wrong people? Joshua Davis, a talented digital artist who spoke at the OFFF Festival last year, said if everyone hated his work, he's pretty sure he'd still do what he does exactly the way he does it, because he gets so much happiness and joy from it. Success comes from being extremely passionate about what you do. If you want to be a writer, write every day. Read. Find authors you love and read everything they've written, read the classics. Scour the web for great sites and read magazines and go to museums and art galleries and listen to music and be a human sponge. Get inspired by the beautiful things other people do. If you do, this will influence your work. All work is somehow influenced by something you've experienced, just don't steal the work of others or you could find yourself here. When people don't have real passion for what they do, no matter how hard they try to fake it, it always shows. 

If you include a lame car ad because you think it'll show you're capable of working on cars, we promise it will only show you aren't good at editing yourself and everyone will remember that lame car ad. If there's one piece that makes you slightly cringe every time you look at it, follow your gut and take it out. If you love every single thing you show in your body of work, you'll most likely attract the company that's best suited for you, and your goal should be to find the right fit. There's usually a place for everyone, and not everyone would be happy at every place.

We think when putting your work together, and yes you should have a website and yes you should take the time to do it right, it's the most important project you'll ever have. Your site should be easy to navigate. We hate when spots take forever to load, you have to close a window, open the next, wait for it to load, close...most people don't have extra time, and a clunky, hard-to-use site screams DON'T BOTHER. How you brand yourself to others is an art form, and those who do it right get the best jobs. Dan Wieden and John Jay used to tell us they want to see the kind of work someone wants to be doing, not necessarily only work they've produced. They'd rather see an entire spec book than a portfolio with produced, yet marginal, work.

People want a feel for who you are. If you're a writer and you can't read the copy on your site, what does that say? An art director with no attention to detail, craftsmanship or aesthetic? Does your work look pretty but there's no concept or idea behind why you did what you did? Don't be afraid to include a section about yourself. Are you a runner, football fanatic, do you paint, blog, speak other languages, or perform stand-up? Are you obsessed with typography or photography or have a huge music collection? People want to know what you're bringing to the party, because they're looking to add to their culture and learn something from you, too. And don't lie, because you'll quickly be exposed. 

We look for original thinking, craftsmanship, consistency, spark. We want to feel something when we look at your work, have an emotional response and walk away inspired by you. There's nothing better than stepping into a world of interesting, inventive ideas and beautiful execution and walking away shaking our head, wishing we'd made it ourselves.

- WNTD

Sundance 2009

Dan Wieden making a good point.

David Kennedy

I've just returned from an impromptu trip to Park City, Utah, to attend the ART & COPY premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. ART & COPY, a film concentrating on the great part of advertising - and yes, there is a great part. I ended up in this business because of two men I admire more than I can describe in words, David Kennedy and Dan Wieden. I admire them for their straight-up, no-bullshit attitude and their desire to create and communicate honest and meaningful messages to the world by cleverly drafting off the very few brave clients in this industry.

I was invited to the premiere by one of the films' creators, another man I greatly admire, Kirk Souder. Upon arrival, I was blown away to find not only Dan and David standing there, but also Lee Clow, Rich Silverstein, George Lois and Robert Redford? Wow. By the way, George Lois is one of the funniest people I've ever met and next time I'm in NY, I'm going to beg him to meet with me just to hear more of his stories. 

ART & COPY pays tribute to other ad legends as well - Bill Bernbach (VW "think small"), Phyllis Robinson (Clairol "me generation"), Hal Riney (Insured Ronald Reagan's reelection), Mary Wells Lawrence ("I love NY") and Cliff Freeman ("Where's the beef?"). Shout out to Phyllis and Mary who achieved what must have seemed impossible back when advertising was still rampant with misogynous Mad Men pigs. Not like today. Ha ha. Ha. 

I really hope the film is distributed, for two reasons. One, because it's one of the only lengthy interviews ever given by Hal Riney, who passed away in March of last year, and two, because listening to the fearless drive these women and men had to embrace change, follow their instincts and challenge failure is absolutely what we need more of right now. I left invigorated and inspired and ready to take on whatever comes my way.

-Melanie

Click here to watch an interview with these guys just after they saw the film for the first time.

Art & Copy

Original Concept: Kirk Souder, Greg Beauchamp

Director: Doug Pray ("Hype!", "Scratch", "Surfwise")

Screenwriter: Timothy J. Sexton

Executive Producers: Kirk Souder, Greg Beauchamp, David Baldwin, Mark Warlick

Producers: Jimmy Greenway, Michael Nadeau

Cinematographer: Peter Nelson

Editor: Philip Owens

Music: Jeff Mart