Ben Hughes
Creative Director
Wieden+Kennedy, New York
Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, Ben developed an early interest in writing, design, and technology as a way to keep busy (and frostbite-free) during the city’s notoriously long winters. This led him first to journalism and later to advertising, where he has been lucky enough to work for some of the world’s best traditional, digital, and integrated agencies.
He began his advertising career at Ogilvy & Mather in New York, creating award-winning campaigns for IBM and Yahoo. A fascination with the burgeoning online space led him next to top digital agency R/GA, where he was recruited to help merge their technological innovation with the rich storytelling and brand building of traditional advertising for clients like Nokia, Subaru, Verizon, and Goldman Sachs.
In 2007, Ben moved to creative boutique Mother to combine his traditional and digital skills to produce truly integrated work. Over the next two years, he created TV, print, radio, outdoor, websites, games, stunts, and events; composed songs; designed products; directed and edited spots; and launched the most successful self-promotion campaign in the agency’s history. His client experiences there include New Balance, Dell, Johnson & Johnson, Target, LVMH, the Obama campaign, and many smaller brands.
Currently, Ben is a creative director at Wieden+Kennedy, New York.
His work has been featured in the New York Times, Boing Boing, Current TV, NBC, Slashdot, the Onion, and (in one very strange instance) Ashton Kutcher’s Twitter feed. He has also been recognized by the One Show and the Effie Awards.
Outside of advertising, Ben is an avid world traveler, culture junkie, and a frequent contributor to Esquire Magazine. After eight years in Manhattan, he and his wife are now eating their way through Brooklyn, NY.
John Parker
Creative Director
Wieden+Kennedy, New York
John’s first interest was art, but at his banker father’s insistence that he “get a real job,” he discovered advertising. Over the past nine years, John has traveled the world creating work for some of the country’s best agencies. He even lived in a Toronto IKEA for three weeks as part of an immersion project. In addition to his work for ESPN, John has produced ads for brands including Volkswagen, Gap, Google, MINI, Burger King, Truth, Red Bull and Virgin Atlantic – amassing a portfolio of work ranging from Super Bowl commercials to a 127-page spoof diet book that is still available at most major bookstores.
John’s work has been praised by the New York Times, USA Today, 20/20, Maxim Magazine and VH1’s Best Week Ever. He has received awards from the One Show, the Clios, the ANDYs, Communication Arts and D&AD. Career highlights include a Gold Lion from Cannes for the Burger King "Whopperettes" campaign and a $100,000 Kelly Grand Prize for the Molson Beer "Tools" print campaign.
In his spare time, John can be found watching football, building stuff out of wood or searching IKEA for storage solutions for the small Manhattan apartment that he shares with his wife, their one-year-old daughter, his dog and their cat.
December 6, 2010
Delta: Keep Climbing
Wieden+Kennedy was honored to become the strategic and creative partner to Delta Air Lines in 2009. Delta is arguably the most iconic of all American airline brands, and, at that time, with the pending Northwest merger standing to make it the world’s largest airline, Delta also had quite a bit of global attention. Let’s also not forget that our allegiance, as business travelers working for a company with offices in seven countries but headquartered in Portland, was now to Delta. How could we not support the company that provides us nonstop access to our Tokyo and Amsterdam offices?