Wieden+Kennedy Co-Founder, Dan Wieden, dies aged 77

Dan Wieden, who co-founded the independent agency Wieden+Kennedy with David Kennedy, has died at his home in Portland, Oregon at the age of 77.

The agency, which remains independent to this day, is one of the most creative and respected in the industry, and was created after Phil Knight, the founder of Nike, recognised the pair's talent while they were working on the brand at another Portland-based agency and, at his suggestion, they founded Wieden+Kennedy in 1982. 

We are heartbroken. But even more so, we are overcome with gratitude and love. Thank you Dan.

Nike was, at that point, still in its infancy but grew to the become the behemoth it is now known as, in no small part due to W+K's input. Famously, it was Wieden who came up with Nike's tag line, 'Just Do it', which it one of the most recognisable slogans in advertising history.

Wieden+Kennedy released a statement over the weekend, saying; “We are heartbroken. But even more so, we are overcome with gratitude and love. Thank you Dan, for throwing the doors wide open for people to live up to their full potential. Thank you for your steadfastness, courage, faith and abiding love. Thank you for making this beautiful creative life possible. We will miss you so much.”

Wieden remained a chairman at the agency until his death but, since 2015, was no longer involved in the day-to-day running of the business. 

Above: Michael Jordan stars in Nike 9000 Shots [1997], directed by Mark Romanek, and Colin Kaepernick in Dream Crazy [2018], directed by Lance Acord.

Alongside Kennedy, who died in October of 2021 at the age of 82, Wieden oversaw an agency that helped propel the Nike brand to international stardom, while Nike helped grow the young agency, too, one which now has a global network of offices that includes Portland, London, Shanghai, Amsterdam, Sao Paulo, New York, Tokyo and New Delhi. The agency and brand combined over the decades of working together to create some of the most creative, iconic and award-winning work the industry has seen, including those featuring global stars such as Michael Jordan, Serena Williams, Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods and Colin Kaepernick.

Wieden oversaw an agency that helped propel the Nike brand to international stardom, while Nike helped grow the young agency, too.

“It’s hard not to overstate the importance of Nike as a client," Wieden told Adweek in 2003. "We were trying to serve Nike as they were expanding, and they put up with a lot of our stumbles in the early days over there, and then we were able to gain other clients eventually and grow out from that.”