- Adweek Staff

The CLIO Awards will present Dan Wieden, co-founder and CEO of Wieden + Kennedy, with a Lifetime Achievement Award on May 13 at its 50th anniversary gala in Las Vegas.

The prize recognizes the outstanding and ongoing contribution of an individual who leads the industry forward.
 
"He truly embodies the essence of a strong, committed leader, one who has made significant fundamental and progressive contributions for his clients and the industry," said Wayne Youkhana, director of the CLIO Awards, in a statement. "Dan's contributions and pioneering spirit have certainly made a lasting impact on those who not only have had the pleasure to work with him, but the ad industry as a whole."

Wieden (pictured) and David Kennedy opened their shop in Portland, Ore., in 1982 with founding client Nike, launching one of the most successful and lauded agency-client relationships in the history of the business. The shop's "Just do it" push for the athletic footwear firm, begun two decades ago, set new standards for sports marketing and ranks among the best known and most widely emulated campaigns ever.

Today, Wieden has nearly 1,000 employees and offices in Portland; New York; London; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Delhi, India; Shanghai, China; and Tokyo.

Said Wieden: "This award rightfully belongs to that humming mass of brains and hearts at Wieden + Kennedy that built this network, office by office, day by day, job by job. They take my breath away."
 
This year's three-day CLIO festival will be held May 12-14, 2009, at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. In addition to the Lifetime Achievement Awards show, the festival will feature four distinct award shows, including Moving Image Awards, Emerging Media Awards, Communications Awards and Design Awards.

The CLIO Awards are produced by Nielsen Business Media, part of the Nielsen Co., as is Brandweek.