[1] The 4th generation (the Smithe Sisters), all daughters of Walter III, are Maureen Smithe (buyer), Meghan Smithe (director of marketing), Caitie Smithe (designer, design coordinator and stylist) and Colleen Smithe (director of advertising). Young. 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. Tim, 41, is the vice president of sales; he and his wife have four kids and live in Winnetka. Rocketreach finds email, phone & social media for 450M+ professionals. between Scott Ave. and Tower Rd., Winnetka, shophwdd.com) hosts a First Friday event on the North Shore. The commercial included the tagline "Change the Name, Change the Luck", a reference to the Cubs' decades-long struggle to reach the World Series. College was a turning point for the sisters, who now call one another their best friends. After college, all three gravitated back to the family business, which was founded by their father. Now, the fourth-generation leaders of Walter E. Smithe are learning to balance their busy personal lives with the big responsibility of carrying out the legacy of their family-run business. You could say that the Smithes are a bit obsessed with quality. The Bob's puppet is a far better actor than the Smithe girls though. Only a year apart in age, the lively, fast-talking Smithe sisters consider one another best friends. Favorite design style: Modern mixed with traditional. The sisters laughed at hearing this family adage, knowing that home furnishing has been woven into the tapestry of their lives. "So that drove us, I think, to be successes.". Then when I plugged it in, the place went up for grabs. So, somewhat reluctantly, they let themselves become the public face of Walter E. Smithe Furniture. "We had a common agreement that we had the best furniture in Chicago," Tim says, "but not enough people knew about it.". 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. Today, they help oversee 10 showrooms, the warehouse and headquarters, working together (generally) perfectly. "It's a big responsibility. 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. The CBS Chicago team is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSChicago.com. The brothers are recognized on the street, in grocery stores and coffee shops ("I got a free Starbucks latte once," Tim says). McCarthy was married to grandson of Walter E. Smithe, Timothy Smithe Jr. in Paris, France in June of 2013. . "And they've been able to personalize a retail chain through the use of the brothers. About. But they still manage to get out to their stores about once a week, touching base with their employees, surprising customers or hosting events such as book signings or wine tastings. "[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. "As needs within the business grew, positions opened up organically," Maureen said. One of my friends used to live near Fullerton and Western, and she would always tell people she lived near Tile Outlet. The Smithe boys started out in a tiny ranch house in Des Plaines, the children of Walter Jr. and Florence. [4], In March, 2017, daughters of Walter E. Smithe III became the fourth generation of the Smithe family to be featured in the commercials.[8]. Shop now. Tags: Design Controls - Facebook Instant Article, Home & Garden, Interior Design. The spot showed the brothers at a news conference announcing that they had purchased Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, with plans to rename it Walter E. Smithe Field. Only a year apart in age, the lively, fast-talking Smithe sisters consider one another best friends. The Smithe brothers used good-natured humor on countless TV commercials selling furniture. "They were loved," said Colleen Smithe, the youngest daughter of Walter Smithe III. Even with little ones underfoot, the Smithe sisters make balancing their family furniture business and their growing broods look effortless. To make up for it, she woke up early to make heart-shaped pancakes. "Case in point, I was just this morning sketching out my first ideas for The Three Tenors, featuring, of course, the Smithe brothers in a coliseum. Then they tie in pop culture it shows that they're sort of a with-it furniture company. Colleen Smithe, Director of Advertising That's why when she and her three sisters -- Maureen, Meghan and Caitie -- were asked a few years ago to transition into the role their father and uncles held for so long, they weren't immediately receptive. The company made its website easier to use and more modern-looking. Now, a lot more people know about us than knew a few years ago.". I only hear them on the radio. Getting the Smithes in front of the camera wasn't easy. "The girls have all worked elsewhere before coming back to Smithe," says Walter of his daughters who have had careers ranging from merchandising to advertising. The Feldco guy creeps me out more. Assuming your a dude your not supposed to understand the commercials. Cindy went to college in Iowa and settled there after school. "The brothers have no acting talent," Tim says. "But we've also gotten some really nice feedback from people who are happy to see four working women on their TV.". We take that very seriously, and we have so much passion for it.". 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. We don't take that lightly.". Hell stand on things, jump on them, do his best to break dining chairs. Nearby is a mangled lamp that will never find its way to a Smithe showroom floor. The Walter E. Smithe furniture jingle "you dream it, we build it" has been a longtime fixture in the firm's television ads, just as the Smithe brothers themselves have been. The first change I noticed was it became all about the sons. We take inspiration from the world of interior design to curate customized . The first order of business: ditch the longstanding, highly recognizable ad campaign featuring their father and two uncles. "Some dabbled and moved on and others just weren't interested.". They've transitioned into the spotlight. "Staying fresh, young and relevant is how we're going to sustain the brand into the next 75 years," Meghan said. Regarded as top performer within the account and the Agency, as a result of consistent over-delivery, passion to grow the business . 9615 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, IL 60077. One by one, each sister began working in the family business. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design advertising has featured everything from parodies of "The Price Is Right" to a 2013 classic in which the Smithe brothers got into a wrestling ring with Billy Corgan. Their advertising is creative, it's timely and it's interesting, so people remember it and they like it.". Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design is a family-owned furniture retailer, founded right here in Chicago, back in 1945. This initiative calls for all hands on deck. It's pretty surprising they are still playing on these tired sexist tropes in this day and age. First published on October 12, 2022 / 3:27 PM. We had no grand plan.. Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design has an overall rating of 4.0 out of 5, based on over 92 reviews left anonymously by employees. ("You should keep that hat on for about three weeks. We can be real nimble when we're this tight and this spread across the business.". With a 71-year history and 11 stores sprinkled throughout Chicago and the suburbs, Walter E. Smithe is a local furniture icon. My hope is to inspire people to slow down enough to talk with a designer and hopefully buy something.. Walter E. Smithe told me they work with many designers but Jeff was really able to get a lot of value into the pieces in his collection and that its why . Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. He was still spending weekends at Smithe furniture showrooms until recently and he volunteered for many years for Habitat for Humanity, building houses in the U.S. and Central America. Like their brothers, the four Smithe sisters were all in the business when they were in high school. Last year there aas a commercial where the puppet quickly moved to close his laptop when someone came in the office. To the Smithe sisters, the company has always been a piece of their identity, an integral thread of their childhood. - Timmy: Dressed as an old-time newspaper boy, 10-year-old Timmy appeared in dozens of commercials in the '70s for his uncle's Long Chevrolet dealership in Elmhurst. Today. Who are these guys? I love the attention I get as a local celebrity," Mark says. 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. Others have been parodies of reality television shows, such as The Apprentice and The Bachelor. I also think, coming from a family business myself, to see how they interact with each other just gives you the feeling that they're good people, that you'd want to do business with those people.". "That is the top priority for the four of us," Meghan Smithe said. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. and became working moms in different industries. Here, get to know this powerhouse quartet. "[5] Of the commercials, Tim Smithe has said, "We wanted to entertain people first, so then when we wanted to inform them they'd already be paying attention". ", Instead they talk about the U2/iTunes takeoff, the brothers' version of "The Apprentice" or the Olympic parody from last year. and runners at CB2 (800 W. North Ave., cb2.com). We are a 4th generation family-owned business, and our employees are an integral part of . walter e smithe. [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. The new generation of Smithes are featured in the company's new advertising. 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.". For example, Meghan had to miss her sons Valentines Day party at school this year, due to work responsibilities. That sentiment applies to their lively commercials, too, which frequently feature the sisters chatting on a stylish couch or gathering with family members in a beautifully staged home. No outside agency required. }); Chicago Parent is Chicagolands trusted parenting hub since 1984. The daughters took over the company. Check out the new collection. Born in the heart of Chicago, we're a family owned and operated local business since 1945, now four generations strong.