I didn’t know McCann.

Nor did I know Erickson. I didn’t know Jay Chiat. Nor did I know whoever Day was. I read parts of David Ogilvy’s book. The good parts. But never had the pleasure. I worked for Doyle, Dan and Bernbach, but long after they left the earth.

I knew David Kennedy. And I knew Dan Wieden.

For almost the entire 90’s, I commuted to 320 SW Washington in PDX to spend 8, sometimes 10, once in awhile 12 hours, to work for Wieden and Kennedy. At the time, I didn’t know how lucky I had it. But years later, and especially now, I know.

I know what it was like to live among giants. Riswold, Hoffman, Cronin, Engel, Champ, Moore, McQuiston, Williams, Barrett, Wall, Helm, McBride, McGann, Moore, Prieve, Seiko (nee McDonald), Curtis, Boiler, Cole, Hanrahan, Cude, Sree, Knight, McNeilage, Labbe, Folino, Davenport, Diller, Smieja and so many more.

And that many more included people who didn’t have their names on a credits reel, but made W&K a place you wanted to commute to, in person, every single day. Sometimes on the weekend. Like Manganiello, Naporano, Gaffney, Blessington, Stiker, Harvey, Rogers and Teherani-Ami. LTA, to those in the know.

My journey was unorthodox, but not really uncommon. A media planner, I came with my boss, Manganiello, to the PNW, because why not? It was Nike, for fucks sake. But, media was never my first love. I always wanted to make ads. And where better than the place that created Spike and Mike, taught us that Bo Knows, put Lou Reed on a Honda scooter.

I was lucky. I was in a place where, if you made some noise, you were listened to. And after a slew of cheeky “Reply-to-all” emails, and some off-color media newsletters, I was given a shot to put up or shut up.

But enough about me. This is about the two men who created an incubator. Where whoever you were, you were encouraged to shoot higher. You don’t like what you’re doing, let’s see what else you got. You somehow got in here, so there’s something in you that we want.

Dan and Dave were accessible. Inspiring. Intimidating (well, Kennedy, no so much). Lovable. Awesome. Genuine. Real. The absolute fucking best. I'll never forget when I was tasked (honored?) to write the video when Dan and Dave were inducted into the One Show Hall of Fame. In one week, I learned more about the agency and those two men, and truly realized how lucky was to be in that edit suite, let alone the building. The night of the induction, an arm put me in a headlock as I sat at the table, wearing a rented tux. It was Dan's arm. And he whispered in my ear, "This better be good." After feeling like a poser for many years, I took that comment (threat?) as a sign that he finally saw me as a creative. (post note: the video was pretty good, imho)

In hindsight, I left W&K way before I should have. But most of us did. And honestly, that place would be ridiculously crowded if all those names above stayed. But that place gave me everything. Confidence. A reel that set me up for a wonderful future. And a fraternity/sorority of people that will never be matched. (apologies to all my wonderful friends now… if you know, you know…)

And for all that, I thank the two men who created a place where all this was, and is, possible. I will miss them both. Dave for his comforting presence. Dan for his tough love style. Individually, they contributed their essential elements to each of us. But together, they created a magic that touched, and changed, every single person that sat in a meeting in a gym, whether at 320 or at 224. Or at Amsterdam, NYC, Tokyo, London, Shanghai, New Dehli or Sao Paolo.

I do take solace thinking that both of these guys are up there with a shiny white card table, waiting to present scripts to the big guy, with a message to change our fucked up world. dsds

Thank you Dan. Thank you Dave. The world will miss you both.