Experimenting With Branded Content: Wieden & Kennedy Entertainment (WKE)

In 2001, the Portland headquarters of Wieden & Kennedy launched an experimental project known as Wieden & Kennedy Entertainment, or WKE for short. The original concept for the branded entertainment division was conceived in 1996 when Warner Brothers produced the box office movie, Space Jam. The idea for the film had been drawn from Nike television ads that featured NBA star Michael Jordan playing versus Bugs Bunny, a concept that intrigued the creative-minded agency.

The program, launched by WKE CEO and founder Bill Davenport, remains as a unique aspect of the agency. This is not to say however that it has been an easy feat, as most would likely tell you that they’re still trying to figure out what it’s all about. The platform was interesting and risky in the fact that instead of working on behalf of paying clients, it would produce branded content and hope that popularity would encourage outsiders to invest and associate themselves with it. Most of the original content surrounded enthusiast groups or subculture scenes, though has expanded greatly over time.

Wieden & Kennedy Entertainment logo

The first three years served as a giant learning curve for the three person team backing the project. Davenport recalls that in the beginning it was hard to even get a meeting with many television and film studios, which made production a constant area of concern. He also insinuated that agency branded entertainment was seen as a lesser aspect of the marketing model, coupled with the fact that the process was foreign to those in the industry. In 2004, the program was given a rough two year period to determine its possibility of proceeding further.

That period marked a time of great opportunity for the program as viral video platforms and digital media sharing exploded into the monster it is today. As studios and production firms began to realize the growing potential, it became easier to arrange meetings and many companies were more aggressively seeking information about the program. One of WKE’s first success’ came when they helped transform an ESPN ad campaign into a show for the Sundance television channel. The project featured a Michigan high school basketball team called the Nimrods, which eventually led to the sale of nearly a half million dollars in merchandise for the school. WKE was also able to take on two new hires during the period, raising its full time staff to five.

The agency division continued to test new ideas and expand areas of interest over the following years, though not all were successful. At one point, Davenport was even working to produce a Broadway play, though the project never made it to the stage. In 2008, the agency launched W+K Radio in which listeners could hear playlists created by their Wieden & Kennedy employees around the world, though it never was able to sustain much of an audience.

By 2009, WKE and the agency as a whole were feeling the effects of the current economic recession. As consumers became more and more fickle in their buying habits, marketers and other brands were forced to make cutbacks on ad spending. In 2009 the division was granted a $500,000 budget, a small amount when considering the millions it takes to produce a single ad in some cases. In an effort to secure the program’s future, Content Director Janice Grube hired Aaron Rose to revamp W+K Radio’s platform and integrate it into the WKE program. Rose’s background included extensive work in art galleries, commercial directing, and self-made documentaries, making him a prime choice for a task that would require skills from all three.

This task was to evolve W+K Radio into an online media channel that produced ‘webisodes’ and radio shows as part of the WKE program. At the time the division was unsure if they would even be funded the following year, a scary realization when faced with having to break through the enormous amount of clutter that digital media had become. Rose hit the ground running as he brought in multiple show creators, helped launch a documentary series about W+K 12, and even began filming his own footage for a personal project. The time called for the division to believe most in the agency’s captivating slogan, “Fail Harder,” which describes a backwards way of finding a successful outlet to build on.

D.I.Y America, and original WKE series by Aaron Rose

Fail harder they did, realizing the need to market the productions over the division label, much the same as television networks showcase their shows instead of the network itself. The program is now marketed as an online television network and has thrived during the last two years, with new productions and shows reaching into multiple seasons. While the number of works is extensive, the diversity offers a little something for everyone, and provides a colorful look of the creative passions and interests encompassed by WKE contributors.

To get a better feel for the program, visit the WKE section of Wieden & Kennedy’s website and view some of the current works at… WKE Extension

Cuneo, A. Z. (2005, December 14). Inside Wieden & Kennedy Entertainment. In Advertising Age. Retrieved March 17, 2011, from <http://adage.com/article/madisonvine-news/inside-wieden-kennedy-entertainment/47769/>

Mesh, A. (2009, December 2). Here's The Pitch. In Willamette Week. Retrieved March 17, 2011, from <http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-11379-hererss_the_pitch.html>