So last week we had Mr Wieden in town and I had the pleasure of spending a bit of time with him. [Probably not a mutual reaction]
The thing that really struck me was just how sharp he was.
I’m not saying that because …
1/ I’m a creeping shit.
2/ I thought he’d be a thicko.
3/ I believe anyone with a white beard should be in incontinence pants.
… I’m saying it because in about 3 seconds, he clearly demonstrated why he was able to create something so good.
I’ve always said the best creatives are often the best planners [see what I did there?] and he proved it time and time again because he not only got to the heart of any issue being discussed in the blink of an eye, he was able to work out what the solution/reason was and convey his answer/opinion with the minimum amount of time/effort/energy as possible.
M&C may claim they are all about brutal simplicity, but they have absolutely nothing on him … and he can do it with more charm, grace and colour than those lovers of black & white.
There was a Q&A session and someone asked him:
“What made you decide to start W+K”
In an instant, he replied ..
“My boss was an asshole”.
That’s it.
No talk about a desire to create a place where creativity could flow or where he could empower companies to reach greater heights, he summed it up in 5 words – FIVE WORDS – and while I am sure there were a bunch of other factors that helped him at least shape what he wanted W+K to be, the fact is he was able to pinpoint the actual heart of the issue and express it in a way that left people in no doubt what motivated his action.
OK … OK … maybe he’s well rehearsed in that answer, but even if that was the case, it was glorious to witness especially as it takes me 57,000 words just to say hello. [Though my excuse is I’ve never claimed to be a good planner, ha!]
You know the other thing I liked?
You only feel his presence when he’s talking to you.
I should explain that a bit better shouldn’t I!
Dan Wieden is a lovely man.
He might be a genuine – and deserved ‘god’ of adland – but he is a top guy.
I like that.
He is a human first and a brilliant ad person second.
I’ve been lucky enough to meet a few ‘icons’ in their fields and they’ve all generally had the same trait … which is possibly why so many people want to work for them.
But here’s the thing, when you are talking about work – especially his agencies work – then you feel the presence, the super-super-sharpness, the take-no-prisoners or bullshit. It’s exhilarating and petrifying at the same time.
As I wrote here, if you didn’t know who he was and had a chat with him in the street, it would be easy to walk away thinking you’ve just met a nice, everyday guy who seemed pretty passionate about people and creativity – however every now and then – when the right questions are asked [or should I say the wrong questions are asked] you get a glimpse of how he may tolerate many things, but low standards are not one of them.
The best way to describe it is this …
Imagine you are slagging someone off and then they opened their jacket to reveal a shiny revolver with the safety catch on ‘off’.
That’s how a pissed off Dan Wieden makes you feel.
Maybe I’m a sicko but I like it.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t like the idea I would be the cause of it, but I like that he’s accommodating on many things except standards.
I genuinely think that’s what helps make W+K great and why I feel fucking scared to be here … but scared in a good way … in a way that makes me want to try even harder to do stuff that makes him take a big gulp and break out into a sweat when he sees/hears/experiences it.
But hopefully for the right reasons … but maybe not always … which is why I stupidly liked that he said “You’re Fired” to me after I had told him what I was going to be doing – though he said it while smiling, so I’m telling myself he was joking and will still turn up to work even though there is a nagging concern that the grin on his face was because he was happy to see the back of me rather than simply being mischievous.