Sufficient Staffing Prompts Move
NEW YORK--Nike last week moved its estimated $5 million New York regional-marketing business from Wieden & Kennedy in Portland

Sufficient Staffing Prompts Move
NEW YORK–Nike last week moved its estimated $5 million New York regional-marketing business from Wieden & Kennedy in Portland, Ore., to the shop’s office, here.
Wieden’s Portland office began a campaign for Nike targeting New York in 1994; New York is the only market for which Nike does specific advertising.
“It makes sense to have people who live and work there and understand the market doing the creative,” said Scott Reames, a representative for the Beaverton, Ore., client.
Wieden’s office, here, opened in 1995 as a media-buying operation, but in April 1997 a creative team was brought in. Sources said the shift was to have happened a year ago, but the New York office, with 40 employees, was not sufficiently staffed to handle the account. It now has 70 employees.
Wieden’s New York TV spots for Nike have starred pro athletes from local sports teams. In December, when the New York Giants and the New York Jets squared off, a Nike spot showed Jets players changing the “Giants Stadium” marquee to “Jets Stadium.”
A commercial last summer featured current and retired New York Yankees and New York Mets baseball players in a stickball game.
Tom Blessington, the managing director at Wieden, here, said the shop will unveil new work in the summer. “The objective will always be to connect the brand to New Yorkers, and using hometown heroes makes sense,” he said.
The client may eventually look at Los Angeles marketing possibilities, Reames said.