{"id":19516,"date":"2022-06-06T18:44:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-06T22:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/?p=19516"},"modified":"2026-09-15T18:46:49","modified_gmt":"2026-09-15T22:46:49","slug":"meet-the-real-mad-men-of-chicago-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/advertisingweek.com\/aw360\/news\/meet-the-real-mad-men-of-chicago-2\/19516\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet \u201cThe Real Mad Men of Chicago\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Heather Taylor, Contributor<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chicago\u2019s advertising wizards gave us some of the biggest icons in ad history including Tony the Tiger, Charlie the Tuna, and the Pillsbury Doughboy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In the new season of Chicago Stories, \u201cThe Real Mad Men of Chicago\u201d<\/a> looks back at the golden age of advertising in Chicago and the hardworking group of Midwesterners that brought iconic campaigns and brand mascots to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who Can You Expect to See?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cThe Real Mad Men of Chicago\u201d highlights several creatives in the ad industry grounded in humble Midwestern values. Here\u2019s who you can expect to see throughout the special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Leo Burnett<\/strong>, founder of the Leo Burnett Company, Inc. and advertising creative who turned the Green Giant into the Jolly Green Giant.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Albert Lasker<\/strong>, AKA \u201cthe father of modern advertising,\u201d who created ad campaigns that encouraged Americans to drink orange juice and helped create America\u2019s infatuation with orange juice.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Tom Burrell<\/strong>, one of the first African Americans hired into the advertising industry and founder of Burrell Communications. Burrell\u2019s straightforward, groundbreaking approach to niche marketing attracted clients like McDonald\u2019s and Coca-Cola to his ad agency.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Rudy Perz<\/strong>, creator of the Pillsbury Doughboy and former Leo Burnett executive.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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    • Eugene Kolkey<\/strong>, a former Leo Burnett art director who is widely credited with creating Frosted Flakes\u2019 Tony the Tiger. (And who could draw Tony in about six seconds!)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Carol H. Williams<\/strong>, a former Leo Burnett copywriter. Williams, an African American woman, created Poppie Fresh, the female companion to the Pillsbury Doughboy and revolutionized sales for Secret deodorant with the famous \u201cstrong enough for a man, but made for a woman\u201d tagline.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Tom Rogers<\/strong>, creator of StarKist\u2019s Charlie the Tuna and former Leo Burnett executive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Keith Reinhard<\/strong>, creator of the McDonald\u2019s Hamburglar mascot and the \u201cYou Deserve a Break Today\u201d jingle for McDonald\u2019s.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • And more creatives!<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Which Brand Mascots Show Up?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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      Another excellent question in a special jam-packed with critters from its \u201ccritter agency!\u201d Be on the lookout for these iconic characters:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      • StarKist\u2019s Charlie the Tuna<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • The Pillsbury Doughboy<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Frosted Flakes\u2019 Tony the Tiger<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Froot Loops\u2019 Toucan Sam<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • 9Lives\u2019 Morris the Cat<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • The Green Giant<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Rice Krispies\u2019 Snap, Crackle, and Pop<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • And many more!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Why Chicago?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        \u201cThe Real Mad Men of Chicago\u201d highlights the role the city of Chicago played in the advertising industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        While many in the advertising industry may say that the real advertising mecca is Madison Avenue in New York, Michigan Avenue was also enjoying a significant midcentury cultural moment in the 1960s and 1970s. Major agencies like Leo Burnett honed a straightforward, friendly Chicago style in advertising that put the products front and center. It\u2019s not a hard sell or soft sell, but rather a warm sell where everything connects to people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Watch The Special Now!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n