When Dan Wieden, ’67, was first notified that he had been chosen as the 1999 recipient of the University of Oregon Pioneer Award, he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. What, he wondered, could be the criteria for an award that had honored governors, corporate heads and legislators and was now honoring him, the co-founder of an advertising firm that has made its name in the advertising world by pushing the envelope?

He was pretty sure it didn’t have to do with his grade point average.

Then again, if you think of Wieden’s college days as the springboard into an award-winning career personified by living on the edge, maybe it did. After all, recipients of the Pioneer Award are chosen for their leadership and their willingness to take risks, and in both categories Dan Wieden certainly more than meets the criteria.

In his acceptance speech at the Portland Hilton May 8, Wieden credited the time he spent at the University with his approach to life. While giving credit to his formal education, he acknowledged that simply being at UO during the ’60s was life-changing.

“It was a time to pioneer all right. It was a time to be a pioneer and for new politics,” he remembered. “It was like there was this promise of transcendence in the air.”

And transcend is what Wieden has done. Diving into advertising with the energy and passion he discovered at the University, Wieden brought that passion to life when he, along with David Kennedy, founded Wieden & Kennedy in 1982.

In their new agency, they wanted a place where “the work would always come first, ahead of money or politics or egos” and where “people would come to do the best work of their careers.”

Starting with just one client, a start-up athletic shoe company called Nike, the agency has since become the largest in Oregon and one of the most well-respected in the world, with more than 500 employees, and offices in Portland, New York, Amsterdam and Tokyo. Their clients include Nike, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Miller Brewing Company and ESPN.

In a recent Oregonian article, Wieden attributed the agency’s success to the quality of work it produced. While he recognizes that an agency can make money on average work, outstanding work inspired top staff performance and garners national recognition. Wieden & Kennedy is at the top because they do good work.

Part of Wieden’s success may be attributed to his own efforts both professionally and personally to go “beyond the typical schmooze-you-hype-you” approach to working to inspire an emotional connection. For Wieden, it’s all about communication and his commitment to it is reflected in the work his agency produces.

“At its best, advertising goes beyond the sale of products to say something important about society’s passions, values and dreams, said UO President Dave Frohnmeyer. “Through his personal creativity and his mentorship of others, Dan Wieden has set a new standard for the ability to capture and convey the best of America in a 30-second commercial or one page magazine ad.”

But Wieden’s energy and passion reach beyond the business of advertising. In mentoring young people who are just beginning in the field, Wieden has demonstrated an ability to inspire young people to retain their idealism, integrity and passion in the often cutthroat field of advertising. He showcases that ability each year when he returns to the SOJC to conduct a creative workshop for advertising students.

In addition to working with college students, Wieden, along with his wife Bonnie, established a non-profit creativity camp for inner-city kids. He has also done considerable work for the SMART reading program of the Oregon Children’s Foundation, the Oregon Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and Portland Public Schools.

“Dan’s advertising work is impressive, but it is only part of the story. His commitment to community, his passion for creativity and his talent for teaching are attributes that truly set Dan Wieden apart,” said SOJC Dean Tim Gleason. “The School of Journalism and Communication is proud to count him among our graduates.”