Videos drive a double coup for Wieden: winning back Heineken and being named Agency of the Year
No-one it seems does the global picture better than Wieden+Kennedy. They have won back Heineken in the US - and been named Agency of the Year in the Webbies. Great videos lie at the heart of both successes
Wieden+Kennedy handled the Heineken premium beers, Heineken and Heineken Light, as recently as 2008 from their Oregon office. Now the agency will run the business out of New York.
The "return engagement" came after Wieden, out of its Amsterdam office, created a TV commercial called "The Entrance," which is at the heart of Heineken's international "Open Your World."campaign.
Beginning as a web video that went viral, it is now running as a TV ad in 50 countries. The ad , shot in Barcelona , stars French actor Eric Monjoin. He charms his way past an oil baron, kung fu assassin and others and ends up on stage performing with The Asteroids Galaxy Tour, a Danish alternative pop band. Their single, "The Golden Age," is the ad's soundtrack.
"We are really excited to be working with Heineken again," said Neal Arthur, managing director of Wieden+Kennedy, New York. Heineken moved to Euro RSCG in 2009 but is now putting new emphasis on keeping U.S. advertising in tune with what its Netherlands-based parent is doing. Heineken USA spent $72 million on media for Heineken and Heineken Light last year.
Asked if the video gave Wieden a leg up, Heineken USA Chief Marketing Officer Lesya Lysyj told Ad Age: "Wieden are a great fit for us ."
Then there's the other bit of good news . W+Ky will be presented next month with the US Webby Award and People's Voice Award for the social media campaign starring Isaiah Mustafa as the "Old Spice Guy." W+K is also "Agency of the Year" for getting most wins and nominations across all categories.
The Webby Award ( voted on by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences) and the People's Voice Award ( voted on by the fans) will be presented on Monday, June 13, 2011, at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York.
The Old Spice ads have been a stunning success, increasing revenue 107% while moving the brand to a younger, more valuable audience. They also created over 1.3 million Facebook fans and brought 30 million views on YouTube.
Wieden+Kennedy, one of the world's largest independently-owned ad agencies first made their mark in the 1980s with their work for Nike, tagline "Just Do It" .
Founded by Dan Wieden and David Kennedy on April 1, 1982, in Portland, Oregon, the agency now has offices in New York , London, Amsterdam, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Delhi and last year, Sao Paolo.