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Wieden + Kennedy turns 25 this year. The advertising agency that began as a lone outpost in Portland, Oregon has now spread across three continents and garnered shelves full of awards. Here, we pick out ten things that set it apart. By Eliza Williams
HONDA POWER OF DREAMS
Wieden + Kennedy London's ongoing campaign for Honda, Power of Dreams, barely needs any introduction. With ads including Cog, Grrr, Choir and Impossible Dream, it has raised debate and awe in equal measure in ad land since the agency began working with the brand in 2002. So perhaps it's best simply to give some hard facts: in the past five years, sales of Honda cars are up 55%. Ad awareness is ahead of rivals VW and Toyota on a fraction of their spend, and the campaign has delivered over pound 400m in incremental sales revenue. And then there are the awards... Cog alone has picked up over 30 awards worldwide, including golds at Cannes, Kinsale, the Creative Circle Awards, BTAA, The One Show, the Clios, as well as three Yellow Pencils at D&AD. The power of dreams, indeed.
WIEDEN + KENNEDY ENTERTAINMENT
Over ten years ago, Wieden + Kennedy launched Wieden + Kennedy Entertainment, a division of the agency that aims to "give our creative people opportunities in film, publishing, and other fine arts", according to Dan Wieden. The company has so far created original content including Battlegrounds, a series for MTV2 on street basketball, and Ginga, a documentary about Brazilian football players. Perhaps its most famous offering however, is Road to Paris, a documentary following cyclist Lance Armstrong and the US Postal Team over 27 days in April 2001, as they prepare to win a third consecutive Tour de France. The film offers a rare glimpse into the world of professional cycling, taking viewers inside team meetings and following Armstrong on reconnaissance rides in the Alps, as well as documenting some of cycling's most exciting races.
TOKYOLAB
In 2003, Wieden + Kennedy Tokyo launched TokyoLab, a record label that mixes music with visuals, with all CDs released being accompanied by a DVD of music videos for each song. "TokyoLab came as an idea from John Jay and myself," explains W+K Tokyo art director Eric Cruz....