“Rebecca Van Dyck, the longtime global account director on the Nike business at Wieden + Kennedy, has left the agency to become the worldwide advertising director at Apple, Wieden said today,” Gregory Solman reports for AdWeek.
“In her 12 years at the independent Wieden agency, Van Dyck worked exclusively on the Nike brand. For the last four years, she had global oversight for the flagship business. Sources said she has already started at Apple,” Solman reports.
Solman reports, “A representative at Wieden said, ‘We are a huge fan of hers here, and she left on great terms. Her job at Apple was a ‘can’t-pass’ opportunity.'”
“Apple last year spent $285 million in U.S. measured media, nearly double the $150 million it spent in 2005, per Nielsen Monitor-Plus,” Solman reports.
Full article here
Hopefully this means that we’re gonna pour it on with advertising now that MS is on the ropes.
Oh, jesus. Nike’s ads are NOWHERE near the simplicity & powerfulness of Apple’s ads. Apple’s ads are leaps & bounds above anything that’s ever come out of Nike. Let’s hope this isn’t a turn for a worst. I personally don’t like it. People at Nike don’t get it like Steve Jobs gets it.
two different products macbill.
as an athlete, those nike commercials are amazing – the hs team last football season with tomlinson, vick, urlacher, etc. – those were freakin awesome.
i’m sure mac won’t have the same kind of thing going on, but nike’s always had very creative and interesting commercials – i still have a couple on my computer. Check for the ones a few years ago where they made the songs out of the players dribbling and moving. or the sport one where it transitions from sport to sport to sport.
you sir, are mistaken. this is more than likely a good idea. the mac ads are interesting and good, but so are the nike ones.
Well put Shawn, I can’t help but to agree
Let’s not forget the collaboration between the two for the nike + ipod kit, I’m sure that’s where she first started rubbing elbows with Apple. I think thi would make for even greater advertising and a healthier relationship for business relationshp nike and apple shares.
wow, that last post was pretty jacked up, I’m not on crack, I swear, just surrounded by wintels at work
MW: plans
Creepy, isn’t it?
Working in advertising myself, I’ll tell you that Weiden + Kennedy is one of the most (if not “the most”) creative agencies of the world. No doubt about that. Plus, NIke is one of their major clients, and one of the most innovative advertisers ever. Not only I (respectfully) disagree with MacBIll, but I’ll also add that eventhoug Chiat/Day TBWA is an amazing agency, Nike’s campaigns are quite ahead of Apple’s.
So, I truly hope tthis will be an amazing addition to Apple’s team and for sure will shows that Apple is willing to grow and take over.
By the way. Many years ago, when Weiden + Kennedy won the Nike account, NIke was kind of an underdog with a lot of nerve, big balls for marketing and a very creative entrepreneur (Phil Knight) as the C.E.O. ¿Any similarities?
A bit like choosing to go Intel. Jobs knew what was coming. I’ll bet she’s good, really good.
She hasn’t had the limelight, no picture of her on Google images…
Just do it … different.
Steve Jobs is no fool. I am sure there are many great laid plans ahead.
The wheels are in motion.
I think Apple should do ‘Leopard coming soon’ ads for TV. That will get people drooling at the mouth.
>Just do it … different.
Perfect!
As for the relative merits of ads, if you’ve never seen (or noticed) a NIKE ad, that little “swoosh” logo is everywhere.
The Mac Evolution:
Large man walks into Apple store…tears open side panel of MacPro.
Pulls out ram….burns hide quarter in offering to the Gods.
…says large man, “oh, I’m sorry little people in black t-shirts. I’ve been written into the wrong storyline.
….Apple black t-shirt people move curser over man …..resampling resolution making him small man.
…..small man says, “..may I burn some more ram? You people are awesome….really, no shit, I’m fking amped”
Do you want to sell shoes for smelly feet, or would you like to change the world?
How’s this for an ad idea for an OS 10.5 ad? (Sorry that I don’t know the proper way to write a script like this)
[White blank screen. Background sound: jungle noises. Fade in text: First there was Cheetah… (Diissovle in video of a noble, strong chhetah. Somewhere on the screen, the date “1999”)
Dissivole to: Then there was Puma… (Cheetah morphs into a Puma: “2001”)
Dissolve to: Then there was Jaguar… (Puma morphs into a Jaguar: “2002”)
Dissovle to: Then there was Panther… (Puma morphs into a Panther: “2003”)
Dissovle to: Then there was Tiger… (Panther morphs into a Tiger: “2005”)
Dissolve to: And there there was (Tiger dissovles to nothing)
Dissolve to: Vista? (2007; a cute but rather bedraggled kitten that has Tiger stripes obviously painted on to it walks into frame. Kitten meows meekly]
Text dissolves to: And now there is..
{A mighty Leopard bursts through the white screen as though it were a piece of paper. Makes whatever sound a Leopard makes)
(Screen is now black, Leopard is strongly backlit, producing a strong outline.Text fades in] Leopard…2007
Could fade to just a black, backlit Apple logo (aka the 2007 logo they on the web page for the first few days of the new year.
An alternative: Instead of just having the Vista kitten walk into the frame, the PC guy sneaks into the frame, glances fearfully around to see if the coast is clear, then takes the kitten out of his coat pocket and holds it up. Then the kitten meows.Or, I suppose it could hiss at PC Guy.
How about just having the Leopard just eat the kitten… I know… sick! Or have the kitten attack the Leopard, and keep bouncing off the Leopard who doesn’t notice the small irritant… with the logo “Leopard. Rock Solid.” fading in at the end.
On second thought, let’s just skip the kitten altogether. Just do an old MGM style Leopard roar with a Leopard inside the Apple logo.
Pure genius. Do you work in advertising?
Col. Angus,
are you saying that, eventually, she might get Steve thrown out and then take over Apple herself!
I wonder is Steve will backdate some option grants for her as he did at Pixar …. and perhaps at Apple
I have to agree. You’ve got something there, docMichael. You should get together with some indy film guys and send a demo off to Apple or something.
jobsisaCROOK,
Backdating is not illegal.
You are an idiot.
Besides, if Jobs has done something wrong he can merely buy his way into Heaven like his pal Billy Gates is trying to do.
Gav-
Thanks for your kind words! No, I don’t work in advertising, although many moons ago I was the adverstising editor for my university paper. In fact I won the Oklahoma Collegiate Press Association award for the ad of the year. That sounds more impressive than it actually was since (a) I thought the winning ad was a bit lame myself, and (b) there aren’t that many colleges in Oklahoma to compete against!
Here’s another idea that popped into my head.
Opening shot: White Screen with a large odometer-type counter. Counter is ticking of the numbers rolling over with blazing speed (say, from 0 to 114,000 in 20 seconds). Background track is the thunderous roar of Niagra Falls. Text: Number of Known Windows Viruses To Date
Second shot: Screen, same counter. Counter reads “000000” and doesn’t change. Background track: sound of a very slowly dirpping faucet. Text: Number of Known Mac Viruses To Date.
Third shot: Text: Some things you don’t mind waiting for.
Or how about a Mac PC ad where PC Guy comes out dressed like Mac? Maybe he even has a little a day’s growth of beard. Dialogue could go something like:
PC: So what do you think? This is my new Vista look. It’s pretty “wow”, wouldn’t you say?
Mac: Well, uuh, yea, you do look…different.
PC (smugly): I thought you might appreciate the change. Actually, to be honest with you [motions for Mac to lean in a bit closer, and drops the volume of his voice, as to reveal something quite confidential] I noticed that people seem to be paying you a lot more attention these days. I guess just because of the silly way you look. (Mac raises eyebrows with a slight look of suprise. PC raises volume of voice and becomes a bit more animated).
But I thought, Hey, with a little make over, I can be hip and cool, too! Just put on a new shirt, unbutton my collar, mess up my hair a bit and viola! Now, no one will be able to tell us apart. We’re practically twinsies!
Mac: Uh, PC?
PC: Yes?
Mac: Why are you wearing a tie under your shirt?