News from Dick's Desk
Tom, Dick & Harry’s special tribute to the late Michael Herlehy
The leaders of Chicago ad agency Tom, Dick & Harry Creative Company said they intend to inaugurate a special annual tribute to their late partner Michael Herlehy, who passed away on May 13, after a long and difficult battle with Hodgkin's disease.
On June 6 of this year, and on May 13 of every year thereafter, Tom, Dick & Harry will — for one day — be renamed the Michael Creative Co. On that appointed day, the agency logo, wall signage, phone answering protocol, business cards and letterhead all will be changed to reflect the new agency name.
According to TD&H co-managing partner Don Brashears, it's the kind of tribute that would have made Herlehy laugh a lot. When the agency was founded in 2002, it was given the name Tom, Dick & Harry because none of the founding partners wanted their names attached to the agency. Apparently, Herlehy was among the most insistent that they all maintain their anonymity.
So now, as a way for the agency to show its lasting respect and appreciation for Herlehy in a very unanonymous way, the shop is introducing this agency name change.
But only for one day each year. As Brashears said of Herlehy: "The man never had a big head, just an abnormally oversized heart."
05.21.13
Michael Herlehy, a great Chicago ad man, succumbs to Hodgkin’s disease
Michael Herlehy, one of Chicago's most ebullient ad people, passed away Monday at the age of 46 from complications related to a long battle with Hodgkin's disease.
Always quick with a big laugh and a quip and a bit of local ad dish, the delightful Herlehy was a creative partner at Tom, Dick & Harry Advertising, a colorfully-named boutique ad shop founded by him and some of his friends and business associates from Cramer-Krasselt/Chicago, where Herlehy previously worked.
Though TD&H started with no clients and little money, his partners at the shop say he was a constant inspiration that helped them keep going in the early days. On the infrequent occasions when the phone at TD&H's first humble office did ring, Herlehy would reach for it and say: "Tom, Dick & Harry. Sorry, no Toms, Dicks or Harrys here, but hey, I'm Michael."
Herlehy first broke into advertising at Saatchi & Saatchi/New York, and then moved to Lord Dentsu & Partners. He grew weary of the ad scene in the Big Apple, however, and came to work for a small Chicago agency, where he developed a cult-like status when he created an award-winning self-promotion piece about his desire to flee the shop.
Of course, his boss found out about the ad and promptly fired Herlehy, who landed on his feet at the Hoffman York shop in Milwaukee, where he would stay until he came back to Chicago for a creative department job at Cramer-Krasselt.
Herlehy was first diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease in 2008. He went into remission after chemotherapy treatments. But the disease would return in 2009, when Herlehy started writing a blog recounting his battle with the illness. In one of his last attempts to conquer the illness, he underwent a stem cell transplant at Northwestern University Hospital here in Chicago last winter.
Michael Herlehy is survived by his wife Sherri and three children — Connor (15), McKenna (12) and Madison (3)
A memorial service for Herlehy is slated for Friday, May 17, at 3:30 pm at the Willow Creek Community Church, 67 E. Algonquin Rd., South Barrington, IL. 60010.
05.16.13
TDH Account Supervisor makes radio debut
Turi Ryder, WGN Radio’s entertaining late night personality, interviewed our very own account supervisor, Mary Scordo, on what it’s really like to work in the agency business. The program, which aired live at 11 PM on April 4, explores how advertising seems to be more popular than ever thanks in part to the acclaimed TV show, “Mad Men,” which premiers its 6th season this Sunday evening.
Mary handles herself with typical Don Draper-like poise, without ratting out our weird creatives or beloved clients. Though she did admit to hoping for an agency name change to Tom, Dick & Mary. After surviving this interrogation, she may have a point.
Here's the interview in its entirety:
http://wgnradio.com/2013/04/05/the-mad-men-effect/
04.05.13
Tom, Dick & Harry adds Artizone to client roster
Artizone.com, an Israeli online aggregator of local, artisan food purveyors, has selected Tom, Dick & Harry Creative/Chicago to handle marketing and advertising for the food site in the Chicago market.
Artizone has been operating in the Dallas market since November, 2010, and launched in Chicago in February of 2012.
At Artizone.com, Chicago-area consumers can shop 16 food and beverage categories from more than 30 well-known local Chicago stores such as Bang Bang Pie Shop, Back Dog Gelato, Hagen’s Fish Market, Ipsento Coffee and Gepperth’s Meat Market . Artizone home delivers on the same day or next day.
“We love artisans,” said Lior Lavy, Artizone’s chief marketing executive. “We’re all about creating the means for local artisans to offer their products to a broader audience of shoppers who love these products as much as we do,” added Lavy.
“We’re hoping to tap into consumers who love local, fresh, healthy food and who care where that food comes from and what it contains — people who prefer buying from small, local businesses,” explained David Yang, a creative partner at Tom, Dick & Harry.
The agency’s first work for its new client is expected to break in late spring of this year.
Since the ad agency's founding 11 years ago, TD&H's client roster has included Fox Sports’ Big Ten Network, Bally Total Fitness, Discover Card, Shure Microphones, the National PTA and Motorola, among others.
03.05.13
The problem with our office manager
Biff Meger has to be the worst employee ever.
He never shows up for work. His name should really be Biff Absentee. How can you be an office manager at Tom, Dick & Harry and never come to the office? We should really fire this guy.
Problem is, we can’t fire him because he doesn’t really work here (like Kramer in the old Seinfeld episode). He only claims to work here on his Linked-In profile. Check out the ol’ Norfolk State grad for yourself:
http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=21462744&authType=name&authToken=es5u&goback=%2Ewvr_*1_*1_0*41pE6nvE90Oj2EjigAsFSoh_*1&trk=wvmx_r
There are lots of corporate posers out there. People puffing up their credentials, claiming to work places they’ve never worked. Be careful what you read.
Biff, if you’re out there, please clean up your profile. And if you really want to be our office manager, please order some supplies. We need more toilet paper. And get your time sheets in. You’re going to have to account for a lot of “sick” days.
Even better, maybe show up one of these days.
03.01.13