Dan Wieden, Co-Founder and Chairman of one of the most renowned advertising agencies in the world, Wieden+Kennedy, will be on campus this Wednesday to speak as part of the Bauccio Lecture Series in Entrepreneurship.
The talk, entitled “I’m Here To Make You Fail,” will be on the quiet side of the Bauccio Commons on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
The Bauccio Lecture Series aims to bring distinguished entrepreneurs to campus to share their experiences and cultivate a positive, optimistic mindset in approaching new business projects.
The talk is also part of University of Portland’s Global Entrepreneurship Week, an event 160 countries around the world partake in.
Wieden+Kennedy’s has produced campaigns for Google, Sony, Samsung, Coca-Cola, Old Spice and Nike, among others.
The company produced the viral 2010 Old Spice advertisement featuring Isaiah Mustafa and is also responsible for coining Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan.
Part of Wieden’s mantra is encouraging people to “fail harder” in order to produce excellent work, said Peter Rachor, Director for Entrepreneurship and Innovation for the Franz Center. The mantra is even written on a wall at the company’s headquarters.
“We’re in a world where so much change is happening, and (Wieden) wants people to understand the value in taking chances as they do their best work,” Rachor said.
