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Shop now. Watch. Their grandfather, who is in his 80s, remains active in the company, frequently visiting showrooms and making connections with clients. 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. Caitie Smithe is aDesigner, Design Coordinator + Stylist atWalter E. Smithe Furniture + Design. He cites the U2 music video takeoff. It couldn't have gone more perfectly, Maureen said. Spoken like the daughter of a true "shop owner," as her father Walter E. Smithe III, president of the eponymous furniture retailer calls himself. Subscribe to one or more of our free e-mail newsletters to get instant updates on local news, events, and opportunities in Chicago. "We were kind of like dorks, geeks, growing up," Mark says. I dont think anyone in the furniture industry does advertising well. 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. You may also light a candle in honor of Walter E. Smithe Jr. or send a beautiful flower arrangement to the funeral . We see this country chic trend currently happening as a design emergency, says Maureen. The Smithe sisters now serve as the face of the firm, offering a female perspective that better reflects the company, the industry and the country today. CHICAGO The founder of Walter E. Smithe Furniture and Design has died. Read on to find out more about pelvic floor therapy and how it's growing in popularity among postpartum women. The answer -- and the sisters' secret to success -- can be summed up in three key words: Fresh. We all trickled back in, and it happened really organically, says Meghan of the industrious quartet, who collectively has 17 children. 9's "Garfield Goose" and "Ray Rayner" shows. Whoever said brick-and-mortar is dead hasn't met the Smithe sisters. An added factor in the commercials' success are the brothers, who come across as regular guys. Even their more than 250 employees are treated like family. 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. Then when I plugged it in, the place went up for grabs. You may have noticed a change lately in those Walter E. Smithe (smithe.com) siblings-on-a-couch commercials. 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. Hauldren -- an advertising copywriter who created the character -- first appeared in the ads in 1973. 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. They decided on an ad campaign that would, simply, pitch their product. Bargain-hunters, take note: Artistica (990 Green Bay Rd., Winnetka, artistica.com) has gotten a jumpstart on spring cleaning and updated its clearance selection to include more than 600 items (including custom-painted majolica backsplash panels) discounted by 50 percent. "It was kind of ingrained in us," Caitie Smithe said. It's not included in a shorter version now airing on TV. This has been our priority since we first began serving the Chicago area back in 1945. Cindy went to college in Iowa and settled there after school. Smithe then went into the computer industry working for General Electric and IBM in 1967, according to his obit. "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. Explore more of the publications in our portfolio here. Meghan can recall her pigtails bouncing as she ran through the Walter E. Smithe warehouse as a young girl, pulling sales tags in exchange for a nickel or dime from her grandfather, Walter Smithe Jr. Like their brothers, the four Smithe sisters were all in the business when they were in high school. With 16 1/2 children among them (Colleen is due with her third baby this month), the sisters also find work as a time to be togethersans children. For example, Meghan had to miss her sons Valentines Day party at school this year, due to work responsibilities. William Hageman and Tribune staff reporter. "But we've also gotten some really nice feedback from people who are happy to see four working women on their TV.". No surprise why the quality is so crap. How, they wondered, would longtime customers respond to four new female faces on their television screens? Our lives can be overrun with technology, commitments and schedules. The Smithe brothers commercials Chicagoans are used to were great for getting the Walter E. Smithe name out, but the new ads put the focus back on the furniture and design services, said Meghan Smithe. Tim recalls Walt trying to smother him -- repeatedly, apparently -- with a bean bag chair. Like most mothers, whether theyre working or staying at home, we do what we can, she says. It was a natural fit, she said. However, Lewis Lazare, the Chicago Sun-Times' advertising critic, has defended the commercials. The seven pieces featured in the Quincy Master Bedroom vignette below (chair, trunk . As the fourth generation to run their family-owned Chicago furniture store, Walter. For people who are in their 40s and have families, that's how brothers act around each other when they get together. My sisters and I represent the viewpoint of our younger clientele, Meghan says. walter e smithe furniture & design. Now, the Itasca-based furniture and interior design company wants you to get to know the Smithe sisters. The new generation of Smithes are featured in the company's new advertising. It's all a part of an effort to hang on to the company's loyal customers while persuading younger shoppers that Walter E. Smithe isn't just their parent's go-to store. Walter E. Smithe Jr. also earned a master's degree in Anthropology at Loyola University Chicago in 1980. Walter E. Smithe Furniture, Inc. is headquartered in Itasca, IL. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. 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. They were each only a year apart, at one point covering all four grade levels at Barrington High School. "[5] Of the commercials, Tim Smithe has said, "We wanted to entertain people first, so then when we wanted to inform them they'd already be paying attention". The Itasca-based company has 10 locations across Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, where the sisters ply their fourth-generation talents. [7], Chicagoans have had mixed reactions to the Walter E. Smithe commercials. portalId: "6766057", Walter e smithe is a high end furniture store, no surprise their ads are geared towards middle aged women from high income households aka suburban moms. officially retires, although he still enjoys visiting showrooms and meeting clients. So, somewhat reluctantly, they let themselves become the public face of Walter E. Smithe Furniture. "[7] Maria Coons, a marketing teacher at Harper College, has also defended the advertisements, telling a Daily Herald reporter, "Some people who aren't in that [30 to 60 year old] demographic might consider them dorky, but for their target market, they're not. Feb 20, 2022 - The 4th generation of Walter E. Smithe family stops by to visit Bob and Marianne. Around the same time, Caitie was ready to return to the workforce as a designer and stylist, a skill she had honed early in her career. "I said, `Let's get you guys on camera.'". I gave up sleep and TV, Maureen jokes. And I thought, `makeup and lighting. "By being so close and meeting so regularly, we're all in the loop with what's happening in each other's sphere. Only a year apart in age, the lively, fast-talking Smithe sisters consider one another best friends. Tim, 41, is the vice president of sales; he and his wife have four kids and live in Winnetka. Contact Information. The campaign was inspired in part by a partnership with designer/house-flipper Jeff Lewis of the Bravo show Flipping Out. For decades, the public faces of the privately owned company have been the sisters father, Walter E. Smithe IIIthe 59-year-old grandson of the businesss namesakeand the sisters uncles, Mark and Tim. To their delight, the reaction to that initial campaign was primarily positive, as has been the case for every commercial they've produced since. "And there's 10 televisions, all tuned to the same station. They're nice folks. The are the Smithe sisters, Meghan, Colleen, Maureen and Caitie. While their father and grandfather are still actively involved in the day-to-day, the women have taken over the companys marketing, design, advertising and buying effortsand immediately went about altering brand perceptions. Updating your home theater? 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. That cartoon of Bob has BDE and you can't deny it. 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 . ", Says Tim Smithe, "Pop culture is always changing and so are we.". The 86-year-old patriarch of the Smithe family, Walter Edward Smithe Jr., "died . The sisters are making their official debut in a new campaign theyve recently launched called the Smithe Family Makeovers. Fielding countless applications, the Smithes choose a home where they redesign a space and showcase the full range of interior design services and furnishings Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design offers. But now a new generationsisters Meghan, Colleen, Maureen, and Caitie Smitheis shaking things up in a big way. Chicagoans came to know and appreciate the three Smithe brothers who starred for years in quirky TV commercials touting their family-run furniture company. hbspt.forms.create({ How could they ensure the 75-year-old brand would be sustainable for decades to come? But repeated airings of the ad have made him and his door legendary. Postpartum bladder leaks are common but there's help. "We have wonderful clients who are my generation or older, but we have to figure out how we cater to this new generation that's setting up households now. The company made its website easier to use and more modern-looking. If you find the right furniture, it will last even through your kids, Colleen says. Shop the clearance. They've spruced up their styles, selling more contemporary pieces among their traditional designs. It's fun to be part of Chicago in that way.". Touch device users, explore by touch or with swipe gestures. "Pam, Bill and I are always on the watch for pop culture. At-a-glance. Falling asleep. Caitie Smithe, Designer and Stylist. CHICAGO (CBS) -- Walter Edward Smithe Jr., the founder of Chicago's Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design, has died at the age of 86.