Improbable as it may seem, David Kennedy co-founded one of the most dynamic, boundary-breaking advertising agencies in America, an agency that emits judo-tough smarts from Portland to Amsterdam to Shanghai…

Above: David Kennedy (left) and Dan Wieden.

There's an interesting profile of W+K founder David Kennedy just published in the Oregonian.

He's the man in black. Wearing baggy black jeans, black T-shirt, black
hoodie and black sneakers that could use a good wash, David Kennedy
ambles, even shuffles, before extending his hand to shake. He's still
as an owl, with a scraggly silver beard and grassy gray hair.

Improbable
as it might seem, Kennedy co-founded one of the most dynamic,
boundary-breaking advertising agencies in America, an agency that emits
judo-tough smarts from Portland to Amsterdam to Shanghai...

Kennedy is the guy who supposedly left the business in 1995. But he
still wanders into the office a couple days a week to hang out with the
kids and work on the American Indian College Fund account, one of W+K's pro bono accounts and the most meaningful one to Kennedy…

The lack of daily responsibility has given Kennedy's week a circadian
rhythm. One minute he's advising on the Native American account, the
next he's sketching an idea for a sculpture. And after that, he's
goofing around with Jeff Selis, an agency creative who glides into
Kennedy, parked at a work table, while riding a skateboard.

"Mild. As mild as it comes." 

I met Dave a couple of years ago when he came over to the UK with Dan to give a talk at D&AD. He's a quiet kind of guy, but he had some great stories to tell. 

Read the full article here.

Despite the somewhat adverse weather conditions and suitably mad guide, we had excellent fun on a private Jack the Ripper walk last night.  Starting at Aldgate (or ye Olde Gate) we wound our way around East London while being entertained with our thespian guide's historical facts:

A 'doss house' (brothel) derives from the French word 'dos' = 'back'.

Spitalfields market stands on the site of a hospital from medieval times. It was in fields, as it sat outside the edges of the city. So 'spital-fields'.

Below, this was known as "The Prostitutes' Church", for the outside was a popular pick-up spot for ladies of the night, including Jack's second victim Annie Chapman,

Parliament Passage where mad guide Simon scared the bejesus out of us (me, anyway).

Hanbury Street even got a mention, where Jack dumped Annie's mutilated body. Alright!

Highly enjoyable. I even bought the t-shirt.

East End Gang walk in March. 

www.walks.com