Dan Wieden is an American advertising creative, co-founder and creative director of Wieden+Kennedy advertising agency. He was born in Portland, Oregon where he earned a degree in journalism from the University of Oregon. In 1982, he co-founded the Wieden+Kennedy advertising agency with David Kennedy, which has become one of the most successful in the world. Dan Wieden is known for innovative and memorable advertising campaigns for global brands such as the legendary "Just Do It" for Nike, "I Am a Mac" for Apple and "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" for Old Spice.
Wieden+Kennedy as branding pioneers
Dan Wieden and his agency brought some innovative ideas and practices to the world of advertising that have made marketing history. Before we get into examples of their top campaigns, let's take a look at the founders' tactics and practices.
Dan Wieden and David Kennedy started as a small agency with just three employees. Early on, fortune smiled on them and the first brand they worked for was Nike athletic shoes. Thanks to this prestigious collaboration and fresh ideas, the agency gradually grew and took other major clients such as Coca-Cola, Old Spice, Honda, Levi's and Airbnb under its wing. Today, the agency also has offices in Amsterdam, London, New York, Tokyo, São Paulo, Shanghai and Delhi. Wieden+Kennedy was one of the first agencies to focus on branding on a global scale.
What made Wieden+Kennedy exceptional was (and still is) its unconventional approach to advertising, which is based on a deep understanding of the brand and its target audience. They strive to give brands a look and feel that makes sense and is relevant to their audience. They treat clients as partners and base the relationship on trust and sharing the same values, always striving to achieve a long-term mutually enjoyable collaboration.
Many of the agency's campaigns have won awards at prestigious international festivals such as Cannes Lions, One Show and D&AD. They have helped create a unique identity for many big brands and have established their perception as we know them today. Some of their most famous endeavours include "Just Do It" for Nike - so let's take a closer look at the famous campaigns.
A legend called "Nike"
This famous affair, which resonates through the marketing world in an undeniable way, was created in 1988. Nike hired the Wieden+Kennedy agency to boost sales of its sneakers. A very punchy, simple but very successful campaign was built around the idea of whether you have the courage and motivation to do what you want in life. Nike's campaigns have featured many famous sports faces who have achieved success through hard work and determination. Strong visuals and energetic music only emphasized the message. The Just Do It campaign was a huge success and it is no exaggeration to say that it helped Nike become one of the leading sports footwear brands in the world. To this day, it is still seen as a modern marketing icon.
There is an interesting and bizarre story behind the creation of the slogan 'Just Do It', which has earned the company billions of dollars. It was inspired by the last words of convicted murderer Gary Gilmore, who shouted "Let's Do It" before his execution! (Just do it!). Years later, Wieden, who coined the slogan, said he was looking for words that would appeal to both the average person and the professional athlete. And so, in 1988, the iconic "Just Do It" was created, which is still rightfully the king of slogans today. This is the first commercial to feature the claim:
In addition to Just Do It, Dan Wieden has created other successful campaigns for Nike within his agency. Many might think of the TV commercials with Michael Jordan and Bugs Bunny:
This 1992 spot combines animation with real footage of the famous basketball player and his teammates. This TV commercial was to promote the limited edition Nike Air Jordan VII sneakers.
Old Spice
Dan Wiener and his agency shot the commercial "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" for the Old Spice brand in 2010. The ad won the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival. A very specific style of humor and unique editing shot the commercial to one of the most successful in a very short time. Within the first 24 hours after posting on the YouTube channel, the spot had more than 5 million views. This ad is often cited as one of the most significant examples of the use of social media in advertising, and Dan Wieden and his agency Wieden+Kennedy have won many other awards for it.
Thanks to Dan Wieden's agency, the Old Spice brand started the trend of shower gels for men. Up until then, 60% of purchases of these products were predominantly made by women, and so the creators of this image got to thinking: How to spark a discussion on this topic among couples? The reaction to the campaign, not only from marketing professionals but also from celebrities, was not long in coming. Soon Twitter, Facebook and Reddit were full of people who were interested in the TV ad. Famous faces also shared real-time reactions on YouTube, making the campaign one of the most interactive in history. The goal was to lift shower gel sales by 15%, however, in 2010 Old Spice's gel sales increased by a whopping 60%. Then in June of that year, sales doubled even further, making the spot one of the top campaigns of the 21st century.
McDonald´s
Wieden+Kennedy ran a campaign for the McDonald's brand in 1993. "What We're Made Of" aimed to promote the quality and freshness of the ingredients in the products and demonstrate the customer care that the brand has always prided itself on. McDonald's reputation in the eyes of customers improved significantly as a result of this strategy and the ad won several awards including two Clio Awards and became one of the most successful campaigns in the McDonald's chain's history.
Apple
The "I Am a Mac" campaign is one of Apple's most famous advertising efforts. It was launched in 2006 and aired for several years. It was again backed by the Wieden+Kennedy advertising agency and the main goal was to present the Macintosh as a modern, intuitive computer that is easy to use. A product ideal for creative work and personal use. Two main characters appear - Justin Long as the Mac and John Hodgman as the PC. In the spots, the actors compare each other and show their differences. Mac - modern, easy to use and hassle-free and PC as too complicated, inefficient and slow. The result of the advertising campaign has had a positive impact on Apple's brand awareness, which has risen many times over and fuelled the growing popularity of computers with the 'apple' icon.
Coca-Cola
Yes, Dan Wieden created a legendary spot for this big brand too - and not only that, he foreshadowed the idea of the direction Coca-Cola as a brand continues to take. The idea of togetherness, joie de vivre and positive vibes. The TV commercial, titled "Hilltop", is iconic thanks to its refrain of "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke", which was meant to symbolise the desire for world peace and harmony. Wieden+Kennedy then produced many other ads for Coca-Cola, including "The Magic Taste of Coke" by Wieden+Kennedy London, which was designed to showcase the magical moments when taking the first sip of the legendary drink.
The man who opened the door to creativity in television advertising
In addition to his unforgettable commercials for world-renowned brands, Dan Wieden was also known for his encouragement of innovative ideas and creativity in advertising. He focused on creating a strong identity and a long-lasting, positive brand reputation. He was also dedicated to educating new generations of professionals - his agency invested in training young talent and still supports skills development in its employees today. "Thank you, Dan, for opening doors that allow people to reach their full potential today," Wieden+Kennedy said on Twitter shortly after his passing in 2022.
