Visit . "I think it's time for us to get out of these TV commercials," Walter said. In fact, none of the sisters seriously considered having a career in the company, founded by their great-grandfather in 1945.
Colleen, Caitie, Meghan and Maureen Smithe, all between the ages of 33 and 37, represent the fourth generation of the family business and are daughters of company President Walter Smithe, the grandson of the business's namesake. 1251 West Thorndale Avenue. "That's F-A-M-E, with an E". There is no true balance for moms in our situation., We cant be everything all at once, Meghan says. PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBIN SUBAR, When Maureen Smithe returned from maternity leave after giving birth to identical twin daughters last August (children number five and six for those keeping count), she was puzzled by the pained looks she received from some of her colleagues. Plus, they seem like nice guys. With a 71-year history and 11 stores sprinkled throughout Chicago and the suburbs Walter E. Maureen in 2002 Meghan in 2014 Caitie in 2015 and Colleen in 2016. Give yourself time to just be in a comfortable and beautiful outdoor space. Bob's proudly proclaims that it sells cheap garbage, Walter E looks like they're trying to sell you viagra and Penny Mustard radio commercials are justweird.. Warehouse workers go over every piece of inventory awaiting delivery with a fine-tooth comb, looking for things an untrained eye would never see. 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. But one by one, they followed Maureen's lead and rejoined the family business. "We're custom, so we can create everything, but we need to get the right mix out there to give people ideas," said Meghan Smithe, the company's director of marketing. 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 businesss namesakeand the sisters uncles, Mark and Tim. 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.
Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. Corporate Profile - Winmo A matte black bathtub, vanity mirrors and hardware pop against the airy walls in this modern primary bathroom.
Eric Clark email address & phone number | Walter E. Smithe Furniture The Bob's puppet is a far better actor than the Smithe girls though. Smithe was born in 1936 to Margaret Slifka and Walter E. Smithe Sr., and grew up on the Northwest Side in Belmont Central. In a new seven-minute "Smithe Family Makeover" video, you'll only see one Smithe brother and you'll only hear the new version of the familiar jingle if you watch all the way through to the credits. There's a lot of blurred lines, and we have to learn when to defer to each other.". This has been our priority since we first began serving the Chicago area back in 1945. Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. Marketing Contacts Contacts (5/9) Name Title State; Walter S. President & Chief Executive Officer . And then fate gently tapped them on their shoulder. But now a new generationsisters Meghan, Colleen, Maureen, and Caitie Smitheis shaking things up in a big way. We not only respect this, we embrace it.. That collective experience comes in handy ahead of any major decisions. There's a certain time and simplicity factor, so from the time of the idea to the time we shoot it can be as short as a week.". 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. "And of course this summer's blockbuster is supposed to be `Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.' This style is out there and we need to respond and get it on our floor. "What about you and your sisters?". It was like the empire jingle.
Spoken like the daughter of a true shop owner, as her father Walter E. Smithe III, president of the eponymous furniture retailer calls himself. "I was invited to speak to 300-some designers in Oak Brook," he says.
Walter E. Smithe Furn-Itasca | Better Business Bureau Profile The Smithe sisters have heard it all before, and they've set out to dispel those misperceptions. "That was the best part," she said. The slogans "You dream it, we build it", or "That's Smithe, with an E" are commonly used. Now its only the wives and zero about the furniture. Read the rest of the issue. So much misogyny in these comments, their commercials have always been cheesy and annoying. Chicago magazine newsletters have you covered. Watch. It was founded by Walter Edward Smithe and Bill Shanahan in 1945. There have been more than a thousand of them since, and thanks to the magic of cable TV he is now a national celebrity.
Walter E. Smithe Near You in Vernon Hills, Illinois - furniture Walter E. Smithe ads, famous for their jingle, now featuring next The CBS Chicago team is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSChicago.com.
They're nice folks. "There are still people who ask us, 'Where are the brothers? "[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. What The Walter E. Smithe Daughters Do .
Walter E Smithe Daughters - Aniya Hendrix Trends and became working moms in different industries. William Hageman and Tribune staff reporter. Were a Chicago company that was given national exposure. I'm a brand manager and their commercials make the brand seem like a discount bin. 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. However, Lewis Lazare, the Chicago Sun-Times' advertising critic, has defended the commercials. The 3rd brother, Tim Smithe, retired in 2016. Timothy Smithe Jr. (m. 2013-2018) Kyla Lynn McCarthy (born October 8, 1986) is the daughter of politician and former Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy. 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. The sisters left for college with a few prized furnishings and a work ethic that became a permanent fixture in their lives. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). walter e smithe. But learning how to work together while also juggling their busy personal lives -- they have 18 kids among the four of them -- can be a delicate balance. And now with the company's 75th anniversary approaching in August, they're ready to push forward plans to expand and evolve.
Walter E Smithe Daughters - Josephine Goodwin Blogs 1251 W. Thorndale Ave. Itasca, IL 60143-1149. I always suggest going with whatever color or colors are most pleasing to you, but some big color trends this spring are oranges, pinks, sage green and pastel blue. In family businesses, thats the only way to ensure a companys continued success. Today, Maureen is a buyer, Meghan is the director of marketing, Caitie is a designer and assists the merchandising team, and Colleen is the director of advertising. Ellen is very serious about design and had a definite voice in what this modern-rustic-meets-farmhouse collection would be. And Amy is a singer and songwriter. We strive to bring our clients the best in home furnishings for every style, budget, and stage of life. The girls have all worked elsewhere before they came to work here, says Walter of his daughters who have had careers ranging from merchandising to advertising. [4], Many of Walter E. Smithe's commercials have been pop culture parodies. Still, she never dreamed of working full time for Walter E. Smithe Furniture, even while growing up in Barrington with her three sisters, Maureen, Caitie and Colleen. ("Did you notice he used the wide-angle lens when he shot your [rear end]?"). To make up for it, she woke up early to make heart-shaped pancakes. Compare how recession-proof Walter E Smithe Furniture is relative to the industry overall. To see these serious, stuffy guys laughing and having fun someone yelled out, `You should use that as a commercial.
Walter E. Smithe Furniture founder, Walter E. Smithe Jr., dies at 86 Walter E. Smithe Jr's death was announced Thursday on the company's Facebook page. If you find the right furniture, it will last even through your kids, Colleen says. We are sad to announce that on October 9, 2022 we had to say goodbye to Walter E. Smithe Jr. of Chicago, Illinois. Walter has been known to take furniture for test drives, says Meghan. "If we'd done that with a large agency, it would have been flying people in from New York and storyboards and approvals along the way," he says. There's a preconceived notion that furniture stores are stuffy and tired, run by men in suits and catering to older generations. You may have noticed a change lately in those Walter E. Smithe (smithe.com) siblings-on-a-couch commercials. Meghan Smithe was on maternity leave when she began working part time in the family business, long known for its infectious jingle: You dream it, we build it.. The first change I noticed was it became all about the sons. and runners at CB2 (800 W. North Ave., cb2.com).
Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design - Yelp A family affair: How four sisters are bringing a 75-year-old store into The Smithe brothers have been described as "Chicago's most recognizable furniture purveyors", due to their ubiquitous television commercials starring themselves. Explore more of the publications in our portfolio here. 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. The 86-year-old patriarch of the Smithe family, Walter Edward Smithe Jr., "died . For example - my favorite large upholstered dining chairs are under $200.
Their camaraderie is genuine, and they can easily share ideas and bounce between conversations. 1 Early life; 2 Television; 3 Personal Life; 4 References; . Later, both Tim and Mark were night managers at competing convenience stores, Tim at a 7-Eleven in Niles and Mark at a Park Ridge White Hen. Reaching a younger demographic and expanding their clientele has required some creativity, the sisters said. Born in the heart of Chicago, we're a family owned and operated local business since 1945, now four generations strong. 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. They brought in real clients, worked with real designers and demonstrated each sister's essential role within the business. Furniture Stores. The Itasca-based company has 10 locations across Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, where the sisters ply their fourth-generation talents. Main Telephone (630) 285-8000. The Smithe brothers commercials Chicagoans are used to were great for getting the Walter E. Smithe name out, but the new ads put the focus back on the furniture and design services, said Meghan Smithe. 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. But even as likable as the brothers are, do they run the risk of oversaturation or going to the well too often? "Some dabbled and moved on and others just weren't interested.". Their interactions were zany, their dialogue lighthearted, their catchy jingle -- "you dream it, we build it" -- recognizable throughout the region. officially retires, although he still enjoys visiting showrooms and meeting clients. As mothers, all of us have cleaned up a childs spill, or even their vomit, from our furniture, Colleen jokes. Sometimes you have to act fast. Walter E. Smithe Furniture is a company located in Itasca, Illinois, United States. His four daughtersMaureen, Meghan, Caitie, and Colleenare now the new faces of this historic Chicago brand, a spot he and his brothers held for decades. My sisters and I loved being a part of it.. We get that question all the time, and that was to be expected," Colleen said. She has a few ideas for how to add a little spring to your home. getting a penny or nickel for every clearance tag we pulled," says Meghanthe four daughters of Walter Smithe III have . Walter E. Smithe wants to create a series of similar videos to give customers a behind-the-scenes look at their services and the company. Smithe guy Walt actually Walter Smithe III 45 is president and general manager of the. Their dad, the company's president, continued filming his signature ads with his brother, Mark, for a short period of time, Colleen said.
Sisters Take Smithe Spotlight, More High-End Barware, and a Sofa Sale We can be real nimble when we're this tight and this spread across the business.". Most recently, she was at . They've spruced up their styles, selling more contemporary pieces among their traditional designs. Shop the clearance. Multi Location Business. "Smithes have fun at the old ballpark". Or using a new high-tech application to keep couch fabric truly worry free from childrens spills, everything from spaghetti sauce to Kool-Aid. "And I'd be yelling, `I can't breathe! Calkins says that by minimizing production costs and media costs and doing those quick turnarounds, Smithe gets a bigger bang for its advertising buck. "As furniture commercials go, what the Smithes are doing is great," he says. How could they ensure the 75-year-old brand would be sustainable for decades to come? Visit Website (opens in new window) Walter E. Smithe. walter e smithe, furniture stores near me, ballinger vase buy, gold side end table, tall mirror, walter e smithe daughters, furniture . . This initiative calls for all hands on deck. - Lynn Hauldren: Who? That cartoon of Bob has BDE and you can't deny it. But now a new generationsisters Meghan, Colleen, Maureen, and Caitie . Trendwise, Caitie says the color gurus at Pantone were right on when they selected a bright shade of green as Color of the Year.
20 White Bathroom Design Ideas | HGTV portalId: "6766057", The girls got the bedrooms; the three boys shared a room in the basement. Getting the Smithes in front of the camera wasn't easy. No outside agency required. The four women have been taking on bigger roles at the company and star in its new ad. Or "Hardrock, Coco and Joe." We are a 4th generation family-owned business, and our employees are an integral part of . Find locations. Its unjust to think that women can somehow balance it all, Colleen adds. }); Chicago Parent is Chicagolands trusted parenting hub since 1984. 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." Nothing will be worse than the commercials they ran the last time the Cicadas were in season. Tomorrow, Hubbard Woods Design District (Green Bay Rd. Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design. "We have wonderful clients who are my generation or older, but we have to figure out how we cater to this new generation that's setting up households now. While their father and grandfather are still actively involved in the day-to-day, the women have taken over the companys marketing, design, advertising and buying effortsand immediately went about altering brand perceptions. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Feb 20, 2022 - The 4th generation of Walter E. Smithe family stops by to visit Bob and Marianne. Tim recalls Walt trying to smother him -- repeatedly, apparently -- with a bean bag chair. "That is the top priority for the four of us," Meghan Smithe said. Walter Smithe III and his brothers Mark and Tim helped make the furniture store a household name with clever commercials -- a tradition that's continued with Smithe III's four daughters, Colleen . Today. Brothers Walt, Tim and Mark Smithe -- the faces of Walter E. Smithe Furniture -- seem to have hit on something with their ubiquitous ads. E. Smithe sisters Caitie, Colleen, Meghan and Maureen were introduced to the business at a young age. 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 company gained national exposure from Lewis' collection, and each sister was able to shine in her own specialty. Her sisters had fallen into their own specialties and were pursuing different paths at the time. We take that very seriously, and we have so much passion for it.". The implication was that he was doing/looking at something inappropriate. We all trickled back in, and it happened really organically, says Meghan of the industrious quartet, who collectively has 17 children.