The Wieden & Kennedy advertising agency was founded on its work for Nike in the early '80s, back when Nike was an unorthodox little Oregon shoe company with an account of less than US$1 million. Wieden & Kennedy's "Just Do It" campaign not only launched the Nike myth and a whole new era of selling, it also branded the agency itself as the slickest, hippest, smartest ad shop in the world, with creatives whose work would define the oft-scary edge of late-20th century capitalism.
But if you're ready to let go and submerge yourself in the power of merchandising, you might be interested to know that the company is hiring freelance studio artists. And contemplating the sheer brainpower and creative genius amassed at a place like Wieden & Kennedy for the purpose of buying and selling is not just awe-inspiring, it's instructive.
Gary Koepke, creative director at Wieden & Kennedy's just-opened New York branch, is totally over the questions of commercialism. "Who's not selling something?" he asks, bored. "Shall I tell you how corrupt and bad publishing is right now?" Gary, known as one of the hottest designers in print media (he gave Vibe magazine its look) started working in advertising less than two years ago, and he can see the big picture. "There's a lot more freedom in advertising," says Gary.
The designer's teamed up with Stacy Wall, creative director for writing and the poetic genius behind Nike's "Breadth" ads, to run Wieden & Kennedy's new Manhattan office and to ensure that it keeps a Portland soul. "We don't want to be a New York advertising agency," explains Gary. "We don't want to be known for one look." What Gary has in mind is an idea factory, "a design studio that works more like a rock band than a corporation."
Laura Forde, a designer who left publishing to become studio manager for Gary, loves the approach. "It can be limitless," says Laura of her work. "At magazines, there's a formula: You rotate five ingredients around a page until it fits. Here, there's as many interesting things as you can think of, an irregular pace, and so many different solutions." She's looking for creative freelance designers to flesh out the small staff on a project-by-project basis. That means flawless technical skills, of course, "but a brain and an eye of your own help." Candidates should be able to work with Quark, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Freehand; advertising experience doesn't matter, but "excellent graphic design sense" does. The team wants hip, ahead-of-the-curve artists who'll be "inventive, prolific, creative, and maintain a positive attitude toward grunt work," adds Laura, pausing for breath. "And no whining on deadlines."
If you've got ideas and drive, check it out: For a "competitive" day rate, you get in on the early wild days of a studio where design gurus are inventing the next 10 trends in advertising. It's possibly the coolest temp job in the universe. "One of our freelancers is a skateboarder and a painter," says Laura, "and last night I saw him with Gary on the floor in his office, cutting up pictures and laughing, and they were having a great time." Kind of like a rock band.
Location: New York, NY
Salary: They say the hourly rate is "competetive."
Skills: Fluency in Quark, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Freehand; advertising experience doesn't matter, but "excellent graphic design sense" does.
Send samples of your design work and a résumé by snail mail to Laura Forde, Wieden & Kennedy, 100 Fifth Avenue, 11th floor, New York, NY 10011.
This article originally appeared in HotWired.
