"Just Do It" was just the beginning

An appreciation for the iconic Dan Wieden who passed away this weekend.

Dan Wieden wrote the tagline “Just Do It” for Nike. 

It is considered to be the greatest slogan in the history of advertising. 

It doesn’t get much better than that for a copywriter. Or does it? 

The line lives on and to date has generated literally billions in value for the Oregon-born sports company.

The line has also inspired and has signed off some of the world’s most famous and incredible pieces of creative:

“Revolution.”

“Mars Blackmon and Michael Jordan.”

“Bo Knows.”

“If You Let Me Play”

“Write The Future”

“Colin Kaepernick”

To name but a few.

Dan Wieden and his partner David Kennedy built the world’s best ad agency — a truly creative company. 

A company that would attract and inspire the most creative people and the most iconic brands, including McDonald’s, Levi’s, Ford and Delta. (Once again, to name but a few.)

And the work of this man and his agency would go on to inspire other brands and people. 

Can you imagine the multiple board rooms in which someone said, “Where’s our ‘Just Do It?”

Quite an accomplishment. Quite a set of accomplishments. 

But the most impressive accomplishment of Dan Wieden’s was his effect on people. 

Not simply the people who worked for him. But the hundreds of thousands (maybe millions) of people who saw his work and said, “I want to be a creative.”

I am one of those people. (So thank you, Dan).

Dan Wieden attracted and hired the most creative people.

And he created an environment at Wieden + Kennedy where creative people could thrive. 

Free of the constraints of a typical ad agency. 

And philosophies at W+K that still encourage you to “Walk in Stupid” every morning.

“Fail Harder.” 

And stop trying to make advertising a science. “Excellence” as Dan said, “ain’t mathematics.  It’s Jazz.”

I have traipsed through my LinkedIn feed over the last 24-hours and the posts and stories about Dan are magnificent.

He’s portrayed as brilliant, uncompromising, funny, ambitious, insightful, generous and above all, human. 

Thank you for everything, Dan. 

Your spirit is alive and well in anyone who stares at a blank page or screen and attempts to make something new. 

Something unexpected.

Something great.