| Reel Chicago – At the intersection of Chicago Advertising, Entertainment, Media and Production
Reel Chicago is a daily digital magazine that covers the news in Chicago on all aspects of advertising, film, TV, media and production. The content is original, written by industry experts and contributing Op Eds
Jim Glover has worked for general market and black advertising agencies and his work has always been on the cutting edge, which many believe is why he has won so many accolades in the biz. Jim is now the founder, President, Creative Director/writer of MultiCultural Creative Consultants (MCC), author of the thriller novel, Mad Man and a … Continue reading “How did Blacks get into advertising anyway?”
Aubrey Walker is a 15-year Creative originally from Milwaukee, WI. Aubrey has worked for such agencies as Burrell, Carol H. Williams, MKTG, GMR, Globalhue and The True Agency. His accounts have ranged from Nike, Gatorade to Jeep and Bombay Sapphire. Currently, Aubrey is the CCO of his newly formed started shop called, TEACHERS NEVER LIKED … Continue reading “The Reel Black List: Aubrey Walker, Advertising Guru”
It’s always great to see people I know from my Chicago family get recognized for the good things they do. Great if it’s in advertising or film. Even better, if it’s something for the community. The last few issues of The Reel have covered what many ad agencies and post production companies are doing for … Continue reading “Carol H Williams exec Britton Gibson honored by Polished Pebbles”
Perseverance, fresh approaches and talent, of course, are always the cornerstones of an enduring, successful career. Those qualities are exemplified and illuminated in Women in Film’s choices for this year’s Focus Awards
Tributes will be presented to ad agency owner Carol H. Williams, actress/director/producer Betty Thomas and theatre director Joyce Piven Oct. 16 at the Ritz Carlton hotel.
Named one of Black Enterprise magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Black Women in Business in 2006, Carol H.
Burrell Communications bested three other minority agencies to win an initial two-year, $6.4 million Illinois Lottery contract to provide advertising and PR targeted to African Americans. The contract provides for two one-year renewals.
Carol H. Williams Advertising, E. Morris Communications and Flowers Communications were the three other finalists in the review for an urban agency that began in February.
PANAVISION CAMERAS, which returned to Chicago after a 14-year absence last October, has completed its move into a 13,000-sq. ft. facility a block-long building at 1544 W. Carroll.
The company currently has six staffers and general manager Sharon Walker says they are in the process of hiring new employees. It supplied cameras to Fox’ upcoming “ABP” series that will premiere Feb. 6, “Exorcist” and has jobs ahead on a studio feature and commercials.
THE MAMMOTH NFL DRAFT — which die-hard sports fans dubbed “the Academy Awards of Football” — returns to Chi-Town Draft Town for the second consecutive year, April 28-30, providing a myriad of jobs for film/TV union labor.
The Auditorium Theatre is again Draft headquarters, while the three-day football festival for fans expands to Grand Park and Congress Plaza for a 900,000-sq. ft. celebration of the Draft. Admission is free.
For client ComEd, multicultural agency Carol H.
The Chicago production family was stunned and saddened to learn that 44-year-old Producer and Post-Production Supervisor, Katie Hoban passed away suddenly at the beginning of this month, on January 4, 2022. Katie was the daughter of Kathleen Johnston and Michael Hoban. Adjectives that come to mind when describing Hoban are “lovely and spirited,” “a positive … Continue reading “Memorial services for producer Katie Hoban today”
11 Dollar Bill, a leading independent post-production studio specializing in creative design, editorial and finishing services, has opened a facility in Raleigh, North Carolina. The site boasts resources for creative editorial, design, motion graphics and animation as well as color correction and editorial finishing. It shares a high-speed connection with the company’s studios in Chicago … Continue reading “11 Dollar Bill launches Post-Production facility in Raleigh”
Filmed on location in Chicago, Disney Channel Original Movie Christmas Again, premieres on Disney Channel and Disney+. Christmas Again was directed by Andy Fickman (Race to Witch Mountain) and written by Doan La (Black Friday). Andy Fickman also serves as an executive producer with long-time producing partner Betsy Sullenger (Liv & Maddie). Disney Channel fan-favorite Scarlett … Continue reading “Chicago made ‘Christmas Again’ premieres on Disney Channel”
The 63rd Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards will be a virtual presentation held on Sunday, December 5 at 7:00 pm. Comedian Pat McGann, the South Side Chicago native who hosted the Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards in 2016 and 2020, returns to emcee the show this year and legendary Bob Newhart is expected to make a guest appearance. The virtual presentation … Continue reading “List of nominees for the 63rd Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards Dec 5”
You could say that the August 12 MLB at Field of Dreams game has been decades in the making. Ever since those famous lines were spoken, “If you build it, he will come…” the landscapes of Iowa and its magical cornfields have left an imprint on the minds of baseball fans the world over. For most, seeing an … Continue reading “Meet the builders creating baseball magic at the Field of Dreams”
Tequila Herradura launches its first-ever global campaign, “Extraordinary Awaits,” with a rebranded image and new :30 film. In a category that has become repetitive and expected, Tequila Herradura aims to carve out its unique position. In this new campaign, the 150-year-old tequila brand highlights the extraordinary possibilities that await when you try this world class … Continue reading “Tequila Herradura rebranded in Energy BBDO campaign”
Vinyl, a Songtradr company that provides direct access to creative talent, commercial music licensing, pre-cleared music, sonic branding, and custom composition, announced today the commercial license of “Time for Me to Fly” by REO Speedwagon for the new Illinois Office of Tourism ad spot. The ad titled “Time for Me to Fly” encourages families to … Continue reading “Vinyl & OKRP launch Illinois Office of Tourism campaign”
For the second consecutive year, McDonald’s USA, through its Black & Positively Golden Scholarships Program, is awarding half a million dollars to incoming and current HBCU students. Through this initiative, in partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), McDonald’s is furthering its support of the next generation of leaders. According to Moving Upward and … Continue reading “McDonald’s is awarding $500k in scholarships”
O’Keefe Reinhard & Paul is adding a level to its creative leadership with the promotion of Aubrey Walker to the new role of Executive Creative Director. He assumes leadership of the agency’s creative department from Laura Fegley who left the agency this summer. Walker has led the agency’s recent work for The Illinois Lottery, including … Continue reading “OKRP promotes Aubrey Walker to Exec Creative Director”
This holiday season, WTTW, Chicago’s PBS station, and WFMT, Chicago’s classical radio station, will present a variety of special content throughout the holiday season. From holiday classics to one-of-a-kind concerts featuring some of the world’s best musicians, WTTW and WFMT’s holiday programming offers festive content for all. New and notable WTTW holiday programming includes: A Charlie Brown … Continue reading “From holiday classics to one-of-a-kind concerts”
Congratulations to our friends and advertisers who have received nominations for a Chicago/Midwest Emmy. The 62nd Chicago/Midwest Emmy Awards will broadcast virtually in November. Regions covered by the Chicago/Midwest Chapter include Chicago, Illinois; Peoria-Bloomington, Illinois; Rockford, Illinois; South Bend-Elkhart, Indiana; Green Bay-Appleton, Wisconsin; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Wausau-Rhinelander, Wisconsin; and Madison, Wisconsin. Here is the complete list … Continue reading “2019-2020 Chicago/Midwest Emmy Nominations List”
Veteran agency copywriter and creative leader Aubrey Walker is joining O’Keefe Reinhard & Paul as a Group Creative Director. Walker has previously worked at such agencies as Leo Burnett, Carol H. Williams, Matlock, Burrell, The TRUE Agency, Globalhue, commonground, GMR, MKTG and FCBX before starting his own independent freelance consultancy. Walker’s initial focus includes leading … Continue reading “OKRP hires Aubrey Walker as Group Creative Director”
Jim Glover has worked for general market and black agencies and his work has always been on the cutting edge, which many believe is why he has won so many accolades in the biz. Jim has had commercials on the Super Bowl, introduced McDonald’s breakfast to America, and convinced conservative Dockers that their khakis were … Continue reading “The Reel Black List: Jim Glover, Creative Director/Writer”
While many car campaigns targeting African Americans skew toward adventures in urban settings, Toyota long-time multicultural agency, Burrell Communications, is showing audiences how to discover — or re-discover — the great outdoors.
CIFF’S INDUSTRY DAYS kick off Oct.
Perhaps the Chicago Ad Federation, host of the annual Addy Awards, will be inspired to change the name of the Addys to “The Leos,” considering that three Publicis-owned agencies captured a monstrous, record-setting 80% of the awards presented March 11 at the Museum of Broadcast Communications.
Black History Month is an appropriate time to ask, “What happened to black advertising agencies in Chicago?” These were the shops owned and operated by African Americans, whose staffs were black and who created national advertising targeted to “the urban market.”
The 2009 Advertising Woman of the Year is Draftfcb’s managing director Karen Sauder. She is the latest on a lengthy list of agency leaders who were named to the top honor by the by the Chicago Advertising Federation.
Sauder is an integral part of the management team that leads the single largest concentration of ad talent in Chicago and the Midwest, said the CAF.
As such, she has helped to create unprecedented momentum for the agency that was formed in 2006 following the merger of Draft and Foote Cone & Belding.
After CD/art director Tony Williams took a hit when the agency with which he had partnered lost its major account, he reinvented his traditional Gavan agency as a creative boutique focusing on new media projects for small companies.
By adding “urban appeal” to the mix, his business has rebounded quite profitably for these difficult times.
Gavan was just underway as a traditional boutique when “we put all our eggs in one basket,” Williams says, by teaming with R. J. Dale Advertising and Public Relations in pursuit of the Illinois Lottery’s $105 million account.
