The CBS Chicago team is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSChicago.com. Furniture Stores. First published on October 12, 2022 / 3:27 PM. 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. Favorite design style: Modern mixed with traditional. You may have noticed a change lately in those Walter E. Smithe . The boys' first ventures into the working world included Walt's daily paper route -- 70 Tribunes, three or four Sun-Times and a couple of Wall Street Journals -- that Tim helped him with ("I got 1 cent per paper, and I'd give Tim 10 cents for helping me"), and collecting beer cans that they resold at a Park Ridge flea market. Favorite design style: Cozy and comfortableaka hygge ethos. To their delight, the reaction to that initial campaign was primarily positive, as has been the case for every commercial they've produced since. You may also light a candle in honor of Walter E. Smithe Jr. or send a beautiful flower arrangement to the funeral . Plus, they seem like nice guys. 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. View info about Walter E. Smithe Furniture (smithe.com). (He's now semi-retired, having turned the business over to his sons about 10 years ago.). hbspt.forms.create({ 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. Shop the Sofa Sale. Most recently, she was at . and became working moms in different industries. That's a galaxy away from the current "Star Wars" parody. Thats fast, but it shows what we can do. Relevant. Jeff Lewis's collection of vignettes is available at Walter E. Smithe's 11 showrooms in Chicago, and online. They can really do great things. 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. - Lynn Hauldren: Who? The fourth generation of Smithe leadership is hoping that this young, fresh approach to advertising and marketing will resonate with a consumer base that hasnt yet shopped with Smithe before. The Feldco guy creeps me out more. "He'd come up from behind and drop in it on us," Tim says. Spoken like the daughter of a true shop owner, as her father Walter E. Smithe III, president of the eponymous furniture retailer calls himself. 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. 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. 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. 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. Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, - Courtesy of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design, Paddock Publications, Inc. is an Employee-Owned Company. 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. Shop the clearance. "As furniture commercials go, what the Smithes are doing is great," he says. Smithe's three sons the Smithe brothers Mark, Tim, and Walter III became executives in the business and were regularly featured in the commercials. Here, get to know this powerhouse quartet. Colleen Smithe - Director of Advertising - Walter E. Smithe Furniture The original simple jingle and slogan was perfect. 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. Who are these guys? Please enter valid email address to continue. The Walter E. Smithe + Jeff Lewis showcase certainly fits the bill. So as long as strangers keep serenading them with the company jingle instead of pelting them with "Hardrock, Coco and Joe" DVDs, and as long as the business continues to grow, they'll keep doing the ads. We feel like we can now speak to the multitude of generations who shop with us, she says. The inky accents create a sleek statement against the white walls and lend a streamlined look to the space. "You think a huge corporation is going to have pencil pushers and button touchers," says Lynn Hamilton, vice president of the Shirley Hamilton Agency, a Chicago talent agency. "I think it's time for us to get out of these TV commercials," Walter said. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune). Warehouse workers go over every piece of inventory awaiting delivery with a fine-tooth comb, looking for things an untrained eye would never see. She sounds annoyed that the spill isn't absorbing, like there's some insurance scheme that hinges on being able to stain this white couch. 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. Its a constant toggle between work and family talk, notes Colleen, but at the end of the day theyre focused on creating a furniture company that helps clients truly curate a home. They decided on an ad campaign that would, simply, pitch their product. 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. We strive to bring our clients the best in home furnishings for every style, budget, and stage of life. 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.". 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. Walter E. Smithe, Jr., founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture, dies at 86 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. Compare how recession-proof Walter E. Smithe Furniture is relative to the industry overall. 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. Rocketreach finds email, phone & social media for 450M+ professionals. Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. Corporate Profile - Winmo '", "The business steadily increased since we started the commercials," Walt says. "There was some physical violence between the brothers," Walt says with that satisfied look of a big brother who got to dish it out. View a map of participating First Friday locations. Sometimes its the only quiet I get.. It stuck in your head. Sometimes you have to act fast. They've relaunched catalogs showcasing their furniture in fully designed spaces. "Staying fresh, young and relevant is how we're going to sustain the brand into the next 75 years. I was probably in elementary school when I would come in to work in the warehouse, sweeping for a nickel, Colleen says of the brand, which first opened in 1945. Walter E. Smithe Jr. died peacefully at age 86, his family said in a prepared statement. The commercials are created in-house. Then they tie in pop culture it shows that they're sort of a with-it furniture company. This initiative calls for all hands on deck. Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. 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 . Their advertising is creative, it's timely and it's interesting, so people remember it and they like it.". 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. Walter E. Smithe Jr. Obituary (1936 - 2022) | Chicago, Illinois So I'm speaking, and they're half listening, you know. Walter e smithe daughters. 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. As they grew into their teens, there were the usual summer jobs -- caddying, yard work, selling ice cream from a motorized three-wheeler. Caitie was a manufacturers' representative before becoming a stay-at-home mom. 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. They look hungry. Favorite design style: Clean and neutral. We understand that customers see a certain look on, say, Instagram and they want it replicated in their own home, Colleen says. His line was, `If you can talk you can breathe.'". (847) 933-1481. Nothing will be worse than the commercials they ran the last time the Cicadas were in season. Chicago magazine newsletters have you covered. The Smithe family announced that their patriarch died this past Sunday with his wife of 64 years, Florence Flynn Smithe, by his side. 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. Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design - Maureen Smithe and Caitie Smithe [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. 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.. They've been able to weather the unexpected storm of the coronavirus pandemic. As the fourth generation to run their family-owned Chicago furniture store, Walter. / CBS Chicago. Assuming your a dude your not supposed to understand the commercials. 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. We connect families with the best local resources, advice, stories, things to do with kids and much more. 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. The Smithe sisters are working to expose the brand to a new customer base Photo credit: Robin Subar. It turned out so well that Tim carried along a copy to a speaking engagement. Till your hair grows back."). 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. When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. The commercial included the tagline "Change the Name, Change the Luck", a reference to the Cubs' decades-long struggle to reach the World Series. Give yourself time to just be in a comfortable and beautiful outdoor space. I dont think anyone in the furniture industry does advertising well. Get Eric Clark's email address (e*****@smithe.com) and phone number at RocketReach. High School," Walter says. My hope is to inspire people to slow down enough to talk with a designer and hopefully buy something.. An added factor in the commercials' success are the brothers, who come across as regular guys. Explore more of the publications in our portfolio here. Walter has been known to take furniture for test drives, says Meghan. Find out where to go, what to eat, where to live, and more. - The Victory Auto Wreckers guy: Almost every night since 1981, on some channel, Bob Zajdel has barely escaped injury when the driver's door fell off his old Chevy. "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. "In a family business, everyone has to wear all hats at all times," Maureen said. Cindy went to college in Iowa and settled there after school. Were really excited about this program, explains Meghan. You can still be a fun premium brand (Virgin, for example) but this is Family Dollar-type schtick. And then fate gently tapped them on their shoulder. 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. Then the commercial came on. This led to the development of Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design. 'Flipping Out' Where To Get Jeff Lewis' Furniture Collection 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.
