David Kennedy’s Rolodex revealed a secret treasure

Even after his death, David Kennedy, co-founder of Wieden+Kennedy and one of the creative minds behind Nike’s iconic “Just Do It” campaign, is still creating legendary moments. While clearing out his area of the office to make way for a new carpet, one of the agency's receptionists, Erin Leckenby, came across a "surprise" Kennedy left in Portland—his Rolodex. Instead of the expected list of phone numbers, it contained songs, which she then turned into a Spotify playlist and shared with the whole team. Noel Yeo, a creative director at Wieden+Kennedy, shared the find on LinkedIn. “I know what I’ll be listening to for the next 6 hours,” he wrote. The collection contains 110 songs and is titled “Kennedy’s Rolodex.” It has a wide range of well-known artists, including John Lennon, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson and The Miracles, Marvin Gaye, The Beatles and The Jackson 5. The playlist has received more than 400 likes in just two days. It’s yet another legendary Kennedy moment to add to the books. Kennedy died on Oct. 10. At the time, the agency temporarily renamed itself Kennedy+Wieden in his honor. He and Dan Wieden founded the agency in the late 1970s, establishing one of the industry's most respected independent shops and kicking off a storied legacy of campaigns for the likes of Nike and many more. Subscribe to Ad Age now for the latest industry news and analysis.

David Kennedy’s Rolodex revealed a secret treasure

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