Craig Allen of Wieden+Kennedy/Portland will be honored as an “Outstanding Young Texas Ex” by the The University of Texas Alumni Association. The award, inaugurated in 1980, annually recognizes four alumni under the age of 40 who are distinguished in their fields and have demonstrated a continuing interest in The University of Texas at Austin.
Allen grew up in Grand Prairie, TX and graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 2003 with bachelor’s degrees in advertising and studio art. In 2010, he received two prestigious awards for his work on the Old Spice commercials: an Emmy Award for Most Outstanding Commercial and the Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions Advertising Festival. In 2007, one of his commercials entitled “Mechanics” was ranked as the ninth best Super Bowl commercial of all-time by Sports Illustrated.
Allen gives credit where credit is due. “I wouldn’t be able to do my job without my education at UT. It was invaluable. Everything I do from composing shots to creating layouts is built upon the fundamentals I learned at school.” Allen also notes that UT helped give him a big head start in the business at a young age. “Most people who pursue a career in advertising have to go to a portfolio graduate school after undergrad. UT is one of the only schools in the country where I was able to graduate with a full portfolio and immediately start working full time.”
Allen was 23 when he started working in the business.
