Like their brothers, the four Smithe sisters were all in the business when they were in high school. The new campaign, dubbed Smithe Family Makeovers, showcases Smithe furniture in the homes of actual clients, revealing the handiwork of the companys designers in HGTV-esque episodes. To see these serious, stuffy guys laughing and having fun someone yelled out, `You should use that as a commercial. walter e smithe, furniture stores near me, ballinger vase buy, gold side end table, tall mirror, walter e smithe daughters, furniture . Sisters Colleen, Meghan, Maureen and Caitie Smithe, from left, say three key words have helped them carry their family-run furniture company into a fourth generation: fresh, young and relevant. The Smithe sisters have always been close -- and growing up, it wasn't always by choice. Meghan and Colleen spent several years working at advertising agencies in Chicago. Home Cities Chicago Meet the Smithe Sisters, The new generation is shaking things up at furniture icon Walter E. Smithe. Their camaraderie is genuine, and they can easily share ideas and bounce between conversations. "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. "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. The brothers are recognized on the street, in grocery stores and coffee shops ("I got a free Starbucks latte once," Tim says). Favorite design style: Cozy and comfortableaka hygge ethos. Edited to add: Looked them up and gee, it's one of the daughters managing the marketing. 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. 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. They pointed out how affordable the pieces are. The company gained national exposure from Lewis' collection, and each sister was able to shine in her own specialty. For people who are in their 40s and have families, that's how brothers act around each other when they get together. Then he and Thorson meet with his brothers and throw ideas around. Draftfcb. The first order of business: ditch the longstanding, highly recognizable ad campaign featuring their father and two uncles. Walter E. Smithe Jr. also earned a master's degree in Anthropology at Loyola University Chicago in 1980. A 2005 advertisement showed Mark and Tim Smithe dueling with CGI-enhanced lamps in an homage to the lightsaber duels of the Star Wars films. But when they finally decided to accept, they knew they needed to come up with a unique and effective way to introduce themselves to the Chicago market as the new faces of Walter E. Smithe. He attended the University of Notre Dame and earned a bachelor 's . Or using a new high-tech application to keep couch fabric truly worry free from childrens spills, everything from spaghetti sauce to Kool-Aid. The commercials are created in-house. Shop the clearance. Indian Trail, High Street intersection work approved in Aurora, Suspect in high-speed chase crashes into, kills veteran Indiana State Trooper trying to stop him: officials, Educators get peek at Paramount play about artificial intelligence which is set to tour schools, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. The brothers spend most of their time in the company's Itasca headquarters, which also serves as a warehouse, customer service center and point of departure for the fleet of Smithe trucks. 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. It's pretty surprising they are still playing on these tired sexist tropes in this day and age. "The brothers have no acting talent," Tim says. Lewis teamed up with Smithes merchandising team to create in-store vignettes, and also featured the store on his show. 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. 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. It was a natural fit, she said. You want it to succeed and do well.". Getting the Smithes in front of the camera wasn't easy. 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.. "Pam, Bill and I are always on the watch for pop culture. "That was the best part," she said. Reaching a younger demographic and expanding their clientele has required some creativity, the sisters said. Introduced to the family business at an early ageI can recall pigtails in my hair, getting a penny or nickel for every clearance tag we pulled, says Meghanthe four daughters of Walter Smithe III have embraced their own roles for the Itasca, Illinois-based company; Meghan is director of marketing, Colleen is director of advertising, Maureen is a buyer, and Caitie is a designer. Mix together different, but complimentary, elements such as woods, metals and stonesand feel free to mix various metals together. "It almost feels like the business is, in a weird way, a member of the family. She is a celebrity who is genuinely interested in how her furniture will do and be perceived, Maureen says. In 2002 they brought in director Bill O'Neil to help them. At-a-glance. ", Instead they talk about the U2/iTunes takeoff, the brothers' version of "The Apprentice" or the Olympic parody from last year. 1251 West Thorndale Avenue. Like most mothers, whether theyre working or staying at home, we do what we can, she says. And they represented Walter E. Smithe with a sense of drive and zeal that can only exude from the third-generation stakeholders of what has become a household name. 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Kneen & Co. (399 W. Fullerton Pkwy., Ste. Tomorrow, Hubbard Woods Design District (Green Bay Rd. Warehouse workers go over every piece of inventory awaiting delivery with a fine-tooth comb, looking for things an untrained eye would never see. Ask how we can add diversity to your supply chain. They've transitioned into the spotlight. Mark admonished Walt to keep his feet off the furniture. Some ways to do this include mixing fabrics and leathers such as pairing linens with velvets, shag rugs, fur throws, organic elements such as rattan and bamboo even the reflective-ness of chrome can add texture to a room! Walter e smithe daughters. How, they wondered, would longtime customers respond to four new female faces on their television screens? The new generation of Smithes are featured in the company's new advertising. To make up for it, she woke up early to make heart-shaped pancakes. The Smithe sisters have heard it all before, and they've set out to dispel those misperceptions. Plus, they seem like nice guys. "An hour and a half. Through March 16, enjoy savings of up to 20 percent on select rugs (hopscotch, anyone?) You can send your sympathy in the guestbook provided and share it with the family. Chicago's Best Furniture and Expert Design. 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. He cites the U2 music video takeoff. Walter was the first of the third generation to join the family business in 1981 . Colleen loved being able to point out that her dad and uncles, Mark and Tim, brainstormed and executed the ideas themselves. I'm a brand manager and their commercials make the brand seem like a discount bin. Our lives can be overrun with technology, commitments and schedules. Pinterest. The 86-year-old patriarch of the Smithe family, Walter Edward Smithe Jr., "died . 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. portalId: "6766057", The girls got the bedrooms; the three boys shared a room in the basement. The Smithe boys started out in a tiny ranch house in Des Plaines, the children of Walter Jr. and Florence. . To their delight, the reaction to that initial campaign was primarily positive, as has been the case for every commercial they've produced since. The Smithe sisters are working to expose the brand to a new customer base Photo credit: Robin Subar. Subscribe to one or more of our free e-mail newsletters to get instant updates on local news, events, and opportunities in Chicago. 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. Sibling revelry; Their offbeat commercials have made the Smithe brothers cult heroes. Spoken like the daughter of a true shop owner, as her father Walter E. Smithe III, president of the eponymous furniture retailer calls himself. Calkins says that by minimizing production costs and media costs and doing those quick turnarounds, Smithe gets a bigger bang for its advertising buck. Then they brought in the wives. The seven pieces featured in the Quincy Master Bedroom vignette below (chair, trunk . 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. Were really excited about this program, explains Meghan. Then they tie in pop culture it shows that they're sort of a with-it furniture company. 443 were here. Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. Marketing Contacts Contacts (5/9) Name Title State; Walter S. President & Chief Executive Officer . But one by one, they followed Maureen's lead and rejoined the family business. "He'd come up from behind and drop in it on us," Tim says. "With a strategy to continue Smithe parodies of relevant topics, really, the future is limitless," he says. Then the commercial came on. What she does: I make spaces beautiful for clients homes, our catalogs and showrooms, and play couples therapist for clients who cant agree on a sofa.. "I think it's time for us to get out of these TV commercials," Walter said. Tags: Design Controls - Facebook Instant Article, Home & Garden, Interior Design. The sisters can measure the span of their careers by their childrens ages and development, so they clearly understand what its like to worry about furniture at the mercy of young, messy children. 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. "It's always positive, and it's nice to be part of it. Even their more than 250 employees are treated like family. Last year there aas a commercial where the puppet quickly moved to close his laptop when someone came in the office. We connect families with the best local resources, advice, stories, things to do with kids and much more. But even as likable as the brothers are, do they run the risk of oversaturation or going to the well too often? 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. "We're not your parents' furniture company," Caitie said. This is not how you attract a premium buyer or build a premium brand. 22 miles. The daughters took over the company. with Maureen Smithe Brusznicki and Caitie Smithe Jisa at Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design. Woven Roman shades, a jute rug and a blonde wood vanity usher texture and warmth into the otherwise minimalist design. Rocketreach finds email, phone & social media for 450M+ professionals. The Smithes: (L-R) Colleen, Meghan, Walter III, Walter Jr., Mark, Caitie, and Maureen. As they grew into their teens, there were the usual summer jobs -- caddying, yard work, selling ice cream from a motorized three-wheeler. Those early Smithe commercials were straight-forward affairs, with each brother talking about his area of expertise -- Walt discussed the merchandise, Tim the company's designers, and Mark Smithe's delivery system and customer satisfaction -- and, of course, the furniture. After college, all three gravitated back to the family business, which was founded by their father. "If you think of furniture commercials, it's always just panning a showroom with obnoxious graphics," says O'Neil, who has directed all the Smithe commercials. Walter E. Smithe III, is the President of family owned and operated Walter E. Smithe Furniture + Design. They're not egomaniacs. Walt and Tim mocked Mark's new haircut. Darvin is always yelling about discounts. My hope is to inspire people to slow down enough to talk with a designer and hopefully buy something.. [7], Chicagoans have had mixed reactions to the Walter E. Smithe commercials. [3], The company has become well known in the Chicago area for its television commercials, which for decades starred the three Smithe brothers, and now star the four Smithe sisters. The Smithe sisters, all in their thirties, worked in the family business as teens but pursued different career paths in adulthood. Jeff Lewis's collection of vignettes is available at Walter E. Smithe's 11 showrooms in Chicago, and online. They brought in real clients, worked with real designers and demonstrated each sister's essential role within the business. Industry: Home Furniture & Housewares Stores. Others have been parodies of reality television shows, such as The Apprentice and The Bachelor. Sometimes you have to act fast. This led to the development of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design. But now a new generationsisters Meghan, Colleen, Maureen, and Caitie Smitheis shaking things up in a big way. The commercial, Colleen's brainchild, aimed to show off the company's new "worry-free" performance fabrics that repel stains, a trend Maureen recognized at a major industry trade show and brought back to the Chicago market. 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." The first change I noticed was it became all about the sons. The Itasca-based company has 10 locations across Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, where the sisters ply their fourth-generation talents. "Smithes have fun at the old ballpark". Their interactions were zany, their dialogue lighthearted, their catchy jingle -- "you dream it, we build it" -- recognizable throughout the region. If you are ready to get grown-up furniture, this place has a very nice selection, with helpful staff who can guide you toward the proper colors, scale, and what looks nice together. So much misogyny in these comments, their commercials have always been cheesy and annoying. The company made its website easier to use and more modern-looking. Contents. We had no grand plan.. [4], Many of Walter E. Smithe's commercials have been pop culture parodies. The Smithe brothers have been described as "Chicago's most recognizable furniture purveyors", due to their ubiquitous television commercials starring themselves. Opening Day is March 30. I can't breathe!' My wife and I were just talking about this yesterday, we truly hate the Walter E Smithe commercials with the daughters. Three generations are involved in the family-run Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, including Walter Smithe Jr. (far right); his sons Walter III (far left) and Mark; and his four granddaughters, from left, Maureen, Caitie, Colleen and Meghan. In the 1970s Walter left Smithe and Shanahan (His brothers remained with the original company) to start his own company - Walter E. Smithe. Or "Hardrock, Coco and Joe." No surprise why the quality is so crap. As their father, the company president, has told customers for decades, Life is too short to sit on uncomfortable furniture.. We not only respect this, we embrace it.. 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. Sometimes it does not pay to work with family. Nothing will be worse than the commercials they ran the last time the Cicadas were in season. CHICAGO (CBS) -- Walter Edward Smithe Jr., the founder of Chicago's Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86. "We're kind of strategically positioned in different departments," Meghan said. Smithe's wife of 64 years was by his side when he passed, and he . 9615 Skokie Blvd, Skokie, IL 60077. "If our specialties fit those needs, then we were invited to have a conversation and explore the opportunity, but it was never a demand placed on us.". 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. Caitie Smithe, Designer and Stylist. "I said, `Let's get you guys on camera.'". Its a tough balance, but I like figuring out the retail puzzle.. The Smithe brothers used good-natured humor on countless TV commercials selling furniture. You may have noticed a change lately in those Walter E. Smithe . Hope, once a Smithe designer and store manager, now lives in Colorado with her husband. walter e smithe furniture inc. Hauldren -- an advertising copywriter who created the character -- first appeared in the ads in 1973. Its unnerving. 1 Early life; 2 Television; 3 Personal Life; 4 References; . Bringing new and various textures into a room can take it from plain and lacking in interest to exciting and memorable. Take dress up and glam up a notch with a self-care day at this luxurious spa for kids and tweens. I dont think anyone in the furniture industry does advertising well. 2023 Zoe Communications Group | 332 S. Michigan Ave., Suite #LL-M974, Chicago, IL 60604 | 708.386.5555 | Website by Web Publisher PRO, ParentEd Talks: Free Virtual Speaker Series, A Concerned Parents Guide to Gun Violence and Gun Safety. "I was at Dulles Airport in Washington, waiting for a 9:30 flight at night," Mark says. Chicago, IL. Trendwise, Caitie says the color gurus at Pantone were right on when they selected a bright shade of green as Color of the Year. But always start from a place where we love each other and enjoy working together., Between the ages of 10 and 18, former Barrington High School soccer, For Olympian Patrick Gasienica, ski jumping has been a part of his, Dr. Rekha S. Rajan has devoted her personal and professional life to, One of the most prestigious dance companies in the world, The Joffrey, Saint Anne Catholic Community Churchs Project Hope ministry, A night of sequin-studded disco fever, the 5th Annual Hoosier Ball was. Meghan is director of marketing, Caitie is a designer and stylist and Colleen is director of advertising. Smithe was born in 1936 to Margaret Slifka and Walter E. Smithe Sr., and grew up in the Northwest Side's Belmont Central neighborhood. Sometimes its the only quiet I get.. Meghan was hired in 2013 and now serves as director of sales strategy. About. As the oldest sibling, Maureen was the first to officially join Walter E. Smithe in a professional capacity in 2004. Walter E. Smithe Jr. Obituary. Customers were more concerned with what we were selling versus the people who were selling it, she adds. The company offer of a free DVD generated a huge response, and more than 60,000 were given away.). 1E, kneenandco.com) continues to add to its Robbe & Berking assortment with the new Martel Bar collection, which features bar cart staples like handmade silver tumblers and cocktail coupes as well as bottle openers and nutcrackers. So is there a `Wally and the Sofa Factory' in our future?". We get that question all the time, and that was to be expected," Colleen said. View info about Walter E. Smithe Furniture (smithe.com). We all trickled back in, and it happened really organically, says Meghan of the industrious quartet, who collectively has 17 children. Give yourself time to just be in a comfortable and beautiful outdoor space. Caitie, Colleen, Maureen and Meghan Smithe represent the fourth generation helping run their Chicago-based family furniture store, Walter E. Smithe, and they're determined not to be the last. [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. So I'm speaking, and they're half listening, you know. Sisters Colleen, Caitie, Maureen and Meghan Smithe, from left, are breaking the mold as fourth-generation leaders of the 75-year-old Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design. Assuming your a dude your not supposed to understand the commercials. 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. Furniture Stores. One by one, each sister began working in the family business. "As furniture commercials go, what the Smithes are doing is great," he says. The sisters get together at least twice a week, traveling from their homes in Chicago, Barrington and Riverside, leaving behind their children, husbands and home duties. Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design. 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 . "It's been about reworking how we approach visually what we want to convey about the product that we're selling," Meghan said. She had been a buyer for Abercrombie and Fitch for a few years after college when a job opened up in the Smithe merchandising office. And Mark, 40, is Smithe's general counsel; he and his partner live in Lincoln Park with Petey, a 4-year-old bulldog. No outside agency required. They can really do great things. Walt (actually Walter Smithe III), 45, is president and general manager of the company; he and his wife have five kids and live in Barrington Hills. "People really did love seeing them on their TVs.". The are the Smithe sisters, Meghan, Colleen, Maureen and Caitie. They have a younger brother, who lives out of state, and plenty of younger cousins who have yet to join the team, though the sisters say there's still time. 177 East Army Trail Road, Glendale Heights, IL 60139. Born in the heart of Chicago, we're a family owned and operated local business since 1945, now four generations strong. I'm so annoyed that I won't buy anything from there. 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.. There's a lot of blurred lines, and we have to learn when to defer to each other.". Instead, the Smithe sisters Colleen, director of advertising; Maureen, a buyer; Caitie, a designer; and Meghan, the marketing director help a Chicago couple with tastes that sometimes clash give their town home a new look before relatives show up for a visit. [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]. Smithe guy Walt actually Walter Smithe III 45 is president and general manager of the. This article originally appeared in the April 2019 issue of Chicago Parent. Even if you weren't sure that Walt, Tim and Mark Smithe were brothers -- yep, those Smithe brothers, of "Walter E. Smithe, you dream it, we build it" fame -- their banter at a recent commercial shoot was a dead giveaway. Contact Information. We simply never had that conversation, Meghan says.

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