When David Kennedy and Dan Wieden founded Wieden + Kennedy, women were an anomaly in advertising. Few were tolerated. Susan Hoffman was.
Hoffman was the 8th Wieden + Kennedy employee and she has stayed at W+K for 32 years. That loyalty – and let’s be honest, tenacity – has paid off. Hoffman has become co-chief creative officer, beside chief creative officer, Colleen DeCourcy, and chief operating officer, Neil Christie.
In the meantime, she opened W+K’s first international office, Wieden + Kennedy London, in 1998. And followed that by opening W+K Amsterdam. She has been executive creative director of W+K Portland, London, Amsterdam, New York and Delhi.
She has been the creator of, or the creative force behind, campaigns for W+K’s major clients, such as Nike, Old Spice, Levi’s, Chrysler, Target, and Proctor & Gamble.
She created the 1987 campaign, Revolution, famous in its own right – but even more so because it got Nike sued by The Beatles.
In 2014, Hoffman joined Wieden + Kennedy president, Dave Luhr, and Colleen DeCourcy in the global management ranks, and partneried with DeCourcy as co-global executive creative director.
“Susan has either created, mentored or championed our most iconic work,” stated W+K founder and chairman, Dan Wieden.
“She keeps us a little crazy, which is in the DNA of this place. Colleen’s creative thinking and business vision are second to none. Together, they are a force of nature. There is no better pair to continue this agency’s creative legacy.”
“It’s not the easiest time to be a creative leader in this industry, but it’s the right time to lead by example and keep holding up the flag for creativity,” added president Dave Luhr. “Colleen and Susan exemplify that type of leadership.”
