Leaders of Wieden+Kennedy-Owned Joint Editorial Launch New Shop

Peter Wiedensmith is just looking for a non-monogamous relationship. Wiedensmith, founder of the Wieden+Kennedy-owned yet independently operated editorial company Joint Editorial, is joining forces with fellow colleague and editor Tommy Harden. Together, they are launching Academy, an editorial company focused on working with all creative agencies and directors. “Here we are now at the 25 anniversary of Joint, and it has been an incredible run,” Wiedensmith, who first joined W+K in 1994, told Adweek. “It was time for something new, and Tommy and I saw opportunities to work with directors and teams on a one-on-one basis. Joint was born out of W+K’s specific needs, and we are at that place where we are interested in opening up to the rest of the world.” Moving out of house As opposed to serving as an exclusively in-house shop for W+K clients, Academy will work with as many people as possible. The agency is building an editorial crew in Portland, Ore., and expects to have a six-team staff within the year, plus a finish team. “We were able to build something special and we wanted to expand further and build something for the industry as a whole,” Harden told Adweek. "We often need to be pushed out of our comfort zones in order to discover those ideas that are most honest or surprising." Academy will specialize in traditional editing services, specifically selecting shots, arranging and modifying them in order to refine their form, narrative and content. One important pillar of Academy will be nurturing emerging editors with education and experience. “We love to learn and explore, give whatever we can to the next generation of editors and watch them grow and surprise us,” Wiedensmith said. “When another editor’s work gets us excited, that’s a wonderful feeling.” Harden, who joined Joint 14 years ago, has benefited from Wiedensmith's mentorship and wants to pay it forward. "That kind of openness and sharing creates a strong support system, which has been key to crafting the work I care most about." Working out of an old printer closet The work of these two talents has earned three Emmys: the 2011 Chrysler “Born of Fire” spot, P&G’s “Best Job” campaign celebrating Olympic athletes and their mothers and the more recent awards-sweeping Nike “Dream Crazy” ad. Wiedensmith and Harden were also nominated for three Emmys combined, including the famed Nike spot “Hello World" starring Tiger Woods and Chrysler’s “Half Time in America" with Clint Eastwood. Wiedensmith also helmed Nike's split-screen masterpiece "You Can't Stop Us." With his full trophy case, Wiedensmith reflects on the evolution of editing over his career. “Back then, an Avid cost $100,000 and post was super expensive, so the agency had this huge need for good editorial out of Portland. After a year and a half at Wieden, Joint was formed and I served as its editor. I was editing in an old printer closet, because it was the only room with a closing door," Wiedensmith said. He recalls the early days of working with Dan Wieden and David Kennedy, Jim Riswold, Janet Champ, Larry Frey, Jamie Barrett and Hal Curtis. "I had no idea, but these people were all legends. They were like kids in a candy store and we just started making work together,” he said. They both added that there seems to be buzz now that their skills can benefit more than just W+K. "People seem genuinely excited for us and the possibilities, which has caught us by surprise and [has] frankly been kind of humbling," Wiedensmith joked. There are no hard feelings between W+K and these longtime colleagues, either. “We very much care about both of their continued success,” Wiedensmith said. And as for them venturing out on their own, they take advice from their iconic leader: “Dan Wieden says to do things that scare the hell out of you.” Wieden+Kennedy Win 2021 Super Bowl