Thomas Richie

Thoreau said, "I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees." Immerse yourself in space and rediscover your relationship with the universe. That's how we positioned Adler Planetarium in this new business pitch at TDH, lead by the talented strategy planner Kevin Richey along with the creative team of Sunmi Yim and Steve Horn. 

A Hadrian's Wall client that Kevin Lynch, Greg Christensen, Mollie Wilkie and strategy guru Steve Carli contributed to.  Photography by a very patient Dave Jordano. A fun story came from our client, calling from Boston's Logan Airport to tell us that she was, at that moment, watching someone who had been standing in front of one of the posters for 5+ minutes reading one of the articles in the layout. Kinda cool.

The "Speak Your Mind" campaign showed how education helps undergrads create their own voice. The multi-channel campaign leads people to a microsite where they could comment about topics found in life and the classroom. Many thanks to many contributors: Don Nelson, Mike McQuade, Bob Volkman, David Yang, Jared El-Mofty, Amy Markley, Cari Dinneen, Greg Reifel, Laura Meitzner and many more of the TDH team. Most importantly, the marketing team at Roosevelt University worked as hard as the agency to make this campaign happen.

Written by Bob Volkman, it's some of the oldest work in the portfolio and an all time fav. Developed for a pitch that we didn't sell and thus proceeded to recycle to a Sox bar on the south side. The gentlemen at the bar enjoyed the sentiment more than the Sox marketing folks. Oh, well. 

A true Mom & Pop project inspired by an interest in booze and booze labels. So far Lot No. 21 has brewed up an amber ale, an imperial stout, a belgian triple, a black walnut liquor and a moonshine collaboration. Soon we hope to be running moonshine in our own reality TV show.

Partnered with writers Bill Rogers and Jared El-mofty at TDH, we created a campaign that juxtaposed what kid's don't know with what parents do know: Lurie Children's Hospital is the first choice in care. Special thanks to Joe Otting and his team at Fiber Films for great film and Liz Tate and her team at Hootenanny for great editing. 

While freelancing with the good folks of DDB back in 2005, copywriter Tim White and I presented this idea for Bud Light’s annual Super Bowl push. The commercial aired on the Super Bowl, in 2007. Some ideas take longer to come to fruition than others.

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TDH helped launch Whiskey Acres a few years back with identity and campaign work for a truly crafted product: the ingredients grown and distilled on a fifth generation family farm. I got involved when the campaign was ready for a refresh with the goal of elevating the Seed to Spirit positioning, which thanks to some terrific footage created by director Joe Otting, we had a lot of material for a gorgeous social campaign. Thanks to the TDH crew: account manager Mike Finke, writer Joel Thomas and post work by Matt Fast and Dave Merriman.

Worked with writer Jared El-Mofty and art director Taylor LeCroy on this campaign at TDH. Utility companies and community awareness campaigns tend to be pretty conservative, so it was nice to find a voice with some wit and charm.

A freelance project I worked on with Chicago writer Jonathan Turitz to pitch to then Kraft Foods. Interesting to work on a brand that's made as simply today as it was back in 1897.

A campaign idea for McDonald's while freelancing at DDB. Don't think this campaign went very far up the corporate ladder. 

The ACLU of Illinois was celebrating its 90th anniversary and wanted to share its many successes in its annual report. Created in collaboration with the talented designer Elaine Fong, the report featured an eight-page timeline centerfold and a poster. 

Crazy no-budget spot that looks pretty darn sweet thanks to the hard-working and talented director Joe Otting and Fiber Films. A Tom Dick & Harry project, Amy Markley partner in crime.

A Hadrian's Wall client. Program marketing is face-paced, which sometimes creates fun opportunities. Writers Kevin Lynch and Greg Christensen. Art from the amazing stable of National Geographic photographers.

Writer Canice Neary, at Lowe/SF many moons ago, deserves most of the credit for this idea.

Inspiration Corporation is a nonprofit organization serving homeless people. When they expanded their services with a second social enterprise restaurant, it created a need to align the enterprise's branding. A team of volunteers helped create the strategy, branding and execution for Inspiration Kitchens, comprised of two restaurants, retail products, catering and a training program. Thanks to Mike McQuade for design assistance, Amy Markley for writing, Nicole McQuade for photography and Brett Burwell for site development.

Something to keep me busy and pay homage to the finer things in life.

There are more things wrong with this typeface than right, but the idea just seemed fun. In my memory park signage symbolizes family trips, wildlife, or just getting lost. The National Park Service had those brown wooden signs with yellow-gold type etched in, like Yellowstone Park (or maybe Jellystone Park?). Classic. Outside of Chicago I walk a park that employs a more low-fi version: simple wooden planks and a router, or so it seems. It gets the job done. So I photographed a few and cobbled a "typeface" together.