Dean Wei Named Executive Creative Director, Wieden+Kennedy Delhi

Today Wieden+Kennedy announced Dean Wei as the executive creative director for Wieden+Kennedy Delhi. Dean is joining from Apple, where he’s spent the last 10 years as the creative director for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. As a member of the EMEA leadership team, Dean played a large role in building the creative culture that has contributed to the impact that Apple’s global work has made for the company.

Dean previously worked at Wieden+Kennedy Shanghai as a creative director. Before his decade-long career at Apple, and in addition to working at W+K Shanghai, Dean worked at a number of other agencies, including BBH; Butler, Shine, Stern & Partners; and HHCL. Over the years he’s worked with clients like Nike, Levi’s, and Audi. He was responsible for Michel Gondry’s Detour, a short film for Apple France shot entirely on an iPhone; “Dangerous Liaison” for Levi’s, directed by Ringan Ledwidge; and Nike work created for the Beijing Olympics.

Dean commented, “I’m excited to be rejoining the W+K family—a family that has continued to remain independent and stuck to those same principles it was founded on. Having spent 20+ years in great agencies and also in-house at one of the world’s most creative companies, I’m more convinced than ever that brands are best served when they can rely on an agency to be honest, objective, and act as a true partner,” said Dean. “The creative energy and talent in India is amazing, and the potential for Indian brands to change not just India but the world is truly incredible. W+K holds a special place in my heart, and I’m looking forward to being back.”

Dean is just the latest in a number of talented individuals joining W+K Delhi. The office has bolstered the creative department by hiring a number of new creative directors, including George Abraham from R/GA Singapore, Jossy Raphael from Ogilvy Delhi, and Samarjit Bhattacharya from Star & ESPN Sports. Recent work highlights from Delhi include That’s Why We Airbnb, a campaign for Airbnb India, and new business wins on Sarva Yoga and DLF Place, Saket, with more to come.

Gautham Narayanan, W+K Delhi’s managing director, commented, “W+K Delhi is at its best when applying great design thinking to help brands connect with customers. Our enduring partnerships and going deep with our work on Indigo, Make in India, and Royal Enfield are all testaments to this. Dean’s experience at Apple should allow us to take this to a new level by adding customer experience, product design, and a world-class creative output that will have a material impact on the work, our people, and our clients’ businesses.”

Susan Hoffman, W+K chair, commented, “W+K will never stop striving to make work that matters, that puts relatable human truths front and center, yet that’s reflective of the values and culture of each region. We have a strong, growing creative department in Delhi focused on this goal, and we are excited to see how they will flourish and expand under Dean’s leadership.”