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Walter Smithe III and Mark Smithe (the Smithe Brothers) are the sons of Walter Jr, and serve as President and VP/Legal Counsel, respectively. Smithe brothers aim for 'Sex' appeal in latest quirky commercial, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Walter_E._Smithe&oldid=1127865487, This page was last edited on 17 December 2022, at 02:33. In the late '60s, the growing family -- there are also four sisters, Cindy, Margie and . We all trickled back in, and it happened really organically, says Meghan of the industrious quartet, who collectively has 17 children. The commercials were being shot at a studio in Northfield and would result in enough footage for dozens of TV ads to appear over the next six months. Chicago magazine newsletters have you covered. I was probably in elementary school when I would come in to work in the warehouse sweeping for a nickel Colleen says. formId: "acc781a7-d0b4-433d-bc7f-c5bac12f3766" "That was the best part," she said. Determine whether Walter E. Smithe Furniture grew or shrank during the last recession. Sometimes we present to our dad as a united front and other times we need him to be a tie breaker. Walter Smithe, president of the furniture company named for his grandfather, is flanked by daughters, Maureen, left, and Caitie on March 21, 2017, as theywatch his other daughters Colleen, far left, and Meghan play pingpong at the Walter E. Smithe furniture store in Oak Brook. Growing up, she and her sisters held various roles at the furniture and design firm, earning their first paychecks and gaining job experience and exploring interests that would later launch their careers. Now, there are 12, a 115,000-square-foot headquarters in Itasca and more than 550 employees, and this year Walter E. Smithe Furniture will do $100 million in sales. Through March 16, enjoy savings of up to 20 percent on select rugs (hopscotch, anyone?) As the fourth generation to run their family-owned Chicago furniture store, Walter. The process starts with Tim Smithe, Pam Thorson (the company's director of advertising) and director/editor Bill O'Neil of O'Neil Productions of Wilmette. getting a penny or nickel for every clearance tag we pulled," says Meghanthe four daughters of Walter Smithe III have . 1428, hollyhunt.com) has expanded its Great Plains textile offering with the Foreign Affair collection, which has a mix of warm and cool neutrals. About. They got on each other's nerves and learned to talk quickly at the dinner table if they wanted to get a word in. The first change I noticed was it became all about the sons. '", "The business steadily increased since we started the commercials," Walt says. Getting the Smithes in front of the camera wasn't easy. Still, the Smithes have had to weather various challenges since joining the company, including the retirement of their uncle, Tim. [2] Today, the company has ten showrooms in Illinois and Indiana and is listed by Furniture Today as one of the top one hundred furniture retailers in the United States. Primary Address. . They pointed out how affordable the pieces are. While a new recession may strike a particular industry, measuring the industry and . "They've done a wonderful job building a distinctive brand," says Tim Calkins, a professor of marketing at Northwestern University. Updating your home theater? His four daughtersMaureen Megan Clarke Caitie Jisa and Colleen Parkerare now the new faces of this historic Chicago brand a spot he and his brothers held for decades. Visit Website (opens in new window) Walter E. Smithe. Feb 20, 2022 - The 4th generation of Walter E. Smithe family stops by to visit Bob and Marianne. Draftfcb. They're not egomaniacs. Smithe was born in 1936 to Margaret Slifka and Walter E. Smithe Sr., and grew up in the Northwest Side's Belmont Central neighborhood. "With a strategy to continue Smithe parodies of relevant topics, really, the future is limitless," he says. The original simple jingle and slogan was perfect. And it's not uncommon for their kids to make cameo appearances in advertisements or to help sort through fabric samples, "which would technically make it a five-generation business," Maureen says. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. /r/Chicago is the place to discuss and stay updated on the daily happenings of Chicago, Illinois, USA. The Smithe brothers used good-natured humor on countless TV commercials selling furniture. "We wanted to entertain people first, so then when we wanted to inform them they'd already be paying attention," Tim says of their advertising philosophy. Smithe guy Walt actually Walter Smithe III 45 is president and general manager of the. The company has become known over the years in particular for its quirky TV commercials Chicago TV viewers have long known the jingle, "Walter E. Smithe, you dream it we build it." Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86, his family said. "I think it's time for us to get out of these TV commercials," Walter said. walter e smithe, furniture stores near me, ballinger vase buy, gold side end table, tall mirror, walter e smithe daughters, furniture . How could they ensure the 75-year-old brand would be sustainable for decades to come? Walter E. Smithe also is changing up its ads. It's not included in a shorter version now airing on TV. We simply never had that conversation, Meghan says. USA. When they get a topic, Smithe says, he tries to figure a way to blend it into an ad. Chicago Parent, as a Zoe Communications Group company, is certified as a Womens Business Enterprise by the Womens Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the nations largest third-party certifier of businesses owned and operated by women. Were now getting calls from all over the world., Under Colleen and Meghans direction, Smithe now has a beautiful new lookbook in its marketing toolbox and a stable full of breathtaking photography, as they become the exclusive distributor for Ellen DeGeneres new furniture collection from Thomasville. (He's now semi-retired, having turned the business over to his sons about 10 years ago.). And in between the entertainment were his folksy commercials for Courtesy Motors -- his cars were "honeys" and "sweeties" -- which at one point was the world's largest Ford dealer. The announcement was merely an early April Fools' Day prank, although the Smithe brothers said they had received about one hundred emails from viewers who were not sure what to think. Holly Hunt (222 W. Merchandise Mart Plaza, Ste. The Smithes had been encouraged to air their outtakes on television after Tim Smithe screened them at an interior design seminar and received a positive reaction from the crowd. "Staying fresh, young and relevant is how we're going to sustain the brand into the next 75 years," Meghan said. It was founded by Walter Edward Smithe and Bill Shanahan in 1945. Find employees, official website, emails, phone numbers, revenue, employee headcount, social accounts, and anything related to Walter E. Smithe Furniture. They've spruced up their styles, selling more contemporary pieces among their traditional designs. Now, the Itasca-based furniture and interior design company wants you to get to know the Smithe sisters. It turned out so well that Tim carried along a copy to a speaking engagement. For decades, the public faces of the privately owned company have been the sisters' father, Walter E. Smithe IIIthe 59-year-old grandson of the business's namesakeand the sisters' uncles, Mark and Tim. "We take that very seriously, and we have so much passion for it.". Spoken like the daughter of a true shop owner, as her father Walter E. Smithe III, president of the eponymous furniture retailer calls himself. In one of their most memorable ads, the four women get into a food fight -- spaghetti and red wine included -- and seemingly destroy a bright white couch, which is then scrubbed clean. To their delight, the reaction to that initial campaign was primarily positive, as has been the case for every commercial they've produced since. And Amy is a singer and songwriter. Smithe's wife of 64 years was by his side when he passed, and he . In some of the footage, youll see my dad installing a dimmer or my uncle driving a truck. The Smithe boys started out in a tiny ranch house in Des Plaines, the children of Walter Jr. and Florence. Hotel Mousai Puerto Vallarta, Room Request: Four Seasons Hotel Bogota Casa Medina, New Restaurants and Bars in New York City, Clare V., Mulberry and More New Retail Openings in NYC, Tony Robbins Challenge to Provide 1 Billion Meals Nears its Goal, Get behind-the-scenes pictures on Instagram. Customers were more concerned with what we were selling versus the people who were selling it, she adds. His daughters were hesitant at first, questioning whether they were ready for such a responsibility. "Staying fresh, young . When I first came on board, our industry was very much a good old boys club, says Maureen, who regularly travels to marketplaces around the country to buy merchandise. And they wanted a way to build the brand. Plus, they seem like nice guys. He cites the U2 music video takeoff. Through March 7, EuroFurniture (2145 W. Grand Ave., eurofurniture.com) is offering 15 percent off BDI media cabinets and consoles available in-store, online, and by phone. 1 Early life; 2 Television; 3 Personal Life; 4 References; . In 2002 they brought in director Bill O'Neil to help them. They seem very pretentious I think. Bloomingdale Plaza. walter e smithe furniture & design. Here, get to know this powerhouse quartet. ("You should keep that hat on for about three weeks. Some have criticized the spots for underemphasizing Walter E. Smithe's actual furniture products. "[7] Maria Coons, a marketing teacher at Harper College, has also defended the advertisements, telling a Daily Herald reporter, "Some people who aren't in that [30 to 60 year old] demographic might consider them dorky, but for their target market, they're not. We get that question all the time, and that was to be expected," Colleen said. Lewis Lazare. His sons, Walter, Tim, and Mark, joined the company in the 1970s and 1980s. Instead of starring third-generation brothers Walter III, Tim, and Mark, the new ones put the spotlight on fourth-generation sisters Caitie, Meghan, Maureen, and Colleen. Trendwise, Caitie says the color gurus at Pantone were right on when they selected a bright shade of green as Color of the Year. hbspt.forms.create({ Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. is headquartered in Itasca, IL. He began working in the . Main Telephone (630) 285-8000. A new collection at Holly Hunt, discounts at EuroFurniture, a First Friday event at Hubbard Woods Design District, and more. He attended the University of Notre Dame and earned a bachelor 's . Ellen is very serious about design and had a definite voice in what this modern-rustic-meets-farmhouse collection would be. We are sad to announce that on October 9, 2022 we had to say goodbye to Walter E. Smithe Jr. of Chicago, Illinois. We've got the radar out for that," Tim Smithe says. We refer to Smithe.com as our 12th store, since many of our clients are doing their research online before coming to see us in person.. Hope, once a Smithe designer and store manager, now lives in Colorado with her husband. The chemistry among this familial foursome is something parents can only hope for from their children. between Scott Ave. and Tower Rd., Winnetka, shophwdd.com) hosts a First Friday event on the North Shore. As their father, the company president, has told customers for decades, Life is too short to sit on uncomfortable furniture.. Last year there aas a commercial where the puppet quickly moved to close his laptop when someone came in the office. It took the mother of six children a few years to figure out how to juggle her demanding career and busy home life. As Caitie puts it, Theres no reason you cant use an entertainment console as a buffet in the dining room.. The Smithes: (L-R) Colleen, Meghan, Walter III, Walter Jr., Mark, Caitie, and Maureen. Sisters Take Smithe Spotlight, More High-End Barware, and a Sofa Sale, 2020 Chicago magazine / A Chicago Tribune Media Group website, map of participating First Friday locations, Design Controls - Facebook Instant Article. It's partnered with celebrity designers and broadened the mix of products carried in stores, online and in its resurrected catalog to include more current trends and a wider range of price points. Sibling revelry; Their offbeat commercials have made the Smithe brothers cult heroes. I dont think anyone in the furniture industry does advertising well. Over the last 13 years, one by one, Walters daughters have been hired on at Smithe as the jobs became available. The Smithe brothers are following in the footsteps of other memorable Chicago commercial icons: - Jim Moran: Starting in the late '40s, "The Courtesy Man" sponsored wrestling programs, late-night movies, a country-and-western music show and his own variety show. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). I love the one where they are drinking what looks like Tang out of wine glasses. Jamie Sotonoff. Walter E. Smithe Jr's death was announced Thursday on the company's Facebook page. Their dad, the company's president, continued filming his signature ads with his brother, Mark, for a short period of time, Colleen said. Who are the Walter E Smithe daughters? "We're all rolling up our sleeves and getting dirty. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_E._Smithe. Walter Smithe, president of the furniture company, climbs the stairs March 21, 2017, at the Walter E. Smithe furniture store in Oak Brook, alongside his four daughters, Colleen, from left, Caitie, Maureen and Meghan. - Nick Celozzi and Maury Ettleson: Starting in the early '70s, they waved fistfuls of cash at TV viewers and reminded everyone that Celozzi-Ettleson Chevrolet in Elmhurst was "Where you always save more money!". The brothers are recognized on the street, in grocery stores and coffee shops ("I got a free Starbucks latte once," Tim says). The commercials are created in-house. Timothy Smithe Jr. (m. 2013-2018) Kyla Lynn McCarthy (born October 8, 1986) is the daughter of politician and former Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy. A wake will be held at Ryan-Parke Funeral Home in Park Ridge on Friday, Oct. 21, and a funeral mass will follow on Saturday, Oct. 22, and St. Paul of the Cross Church in Park Ridge. Am I the only one who just thinks he looks like Louis CK? "It's been about reworking how we approach visually what we want to convey about the product that we're selling," Meghan said. They hammer out a script, call in O'Neil and start filming. The Smithe sisters now serve as the face of the firm, offering a female perspective that better reflects the company, the industry and the country today. Favorite design style: Modern mixed with traditional. They can really do great things. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nah, I know a few of them. 74% of employees would recommend working at Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design to a friend and 70% have a positive outlook for the business.