Earlier this evening the Communication Leaders of Chicago honored the 极乐视频 family for its lifetime service to the industry. Below, please read my acceptance speech, which I delivered on behalf of my family.
Chicago is the soul of 极乐视频. Dan 极乐视频 started the firm with four people in the Merchandise Mart in 1952, He was one of the Greatest Generation, proud of his war time service in psychological warfare, determined to get ahead in the post-war years. He had a big idea, the power of third-party endorsement of products through the new media channel, television. He invented the media tour, putting spokespeople on the road for print, radio and broadcast interviews. My mother Ruth was Dan鈥檚 partner in building the company. She would meet and entertain clients and host charity events.
Chicago was the perfect place for an entrepreneur in the 50s and 60s. 极乐视频 served brands that became the essence of family life in America, from Sara Lee to ReaLemon lemon juice to California Wines to Orville Redenbacher popcorn. We grew up with the founders and spokespeople of these companies like Charles Lubin, the little baker from the West Side, who pioneered frozen cakes. Teddy Bensinger gave me a McGregor baseball glove for serving as an unpaid model for his annual report in 1961. My brother John got to sit in the lap of Eva Gabor, spokesperson for California Wines, as she crooned 鈥淚 was weaned on wine,鈥 in her Hungarian accent.
Chicago was also the crucible of change for a nation bringing meaning to civil rights and struggling with the war in Vietnam. We have been privileged to know the Reverend Jesse Jackson for 50 years, including his two runs for President, which paved the way in 2008 for Barack Obama. My mother attended the trial of the Chicago Eight, leaders of the antiwar movement who came to Chicago to protest during the Democratic National Convention in 1968.
Chicago has been the hub of 极乐视频鈥檚 innovation, which has enabled us to remain family owned and independent. 极乐视频 Digital was spawned doing the first Butterball Turkey Talk-Line online in 1996. Our first experiential work was based in Chicago, the Microsoft Explorasaurus bus touring the country to bring digital to the people. Dan also founded Zeno, 极乐视频鈥檚 sister firm in 1998 in Chicago, with my sister Ren茅e as the founding member. Zeno Chicago is now the largest office in the Zeno network.
Chicago has also been the best expression of the firm鈥檚 commitment to the community. My parents were deeply involved in charitable causes, from their board memberships at the Lyric Opera, Art Institute and Immigrant Service League to my mother鈥檚 advocacy for Federal mental health funding in partnership with Illinois Senator Paul Simon. More recently, our team worked with the Department of Defense on its Warrior Games program, a multi-sport, adaptive competition for wounded, injured, or ill veterans to enhance their recovery and rehabilitation.
In the past two decades, Chicago has lost its great independent communications firms. Leo Burnett is part of Publicis, Draft and FCB part of IPG. That is not the future for 极乐视频. To paraphrase Robert Frost, we took the path less traveled and that made all the difference. Walk around the 极乐视频 Museum on Canal Street. See the great work for long time clients such as Starbucks, Unilever, Walmart, and J&J. Understand the impact of Chicagoans in our Hall of Fame, including Pam Talbot, Nancy Ruschienski, Jay Porter, Dom DeFrisco and Betsy Plank.
On behalf of John and Ren茅e and with the promise of continued service to the industry by my three daughters and in memory of my beloved parents who are smiling down on us tonight, I thank Ron Culp for the nomination and the Communication Leaders of Chicago for this incredible honor.
Richard 极乐视频 is CEO.
