Tom Burrell

Thomas J. "Tom" Burrell[1] (born March 18, 1939)[2] founder and chairman emeritus of Burrell Communications, became one of the first African Americans in the field of advertising.[3]

Early years

Burrell was born in Chicago, where his father owned a tavern and his mother worked for a beauty parlor.[4] He switched high schools to avoid being near "the wrong crowd" and it was in the second one that a teacher encouraged him to look into the field of advertising.[2][4] He then went to Roosevelt University, majoring in English and with a minor in advertising.

Career

Burrell was "the first black person to work in a Chicago advertising agency."[5] After ten years of advancing, he and Emmett McBain opened their own agency, Burrell McBain Advertising.[6] Part of Burrell's pitch was that "black people are not dark-skinned white people," referring to differences in music preferences and other cultural differences. Burrell bought out his partner in 1974 and renamed the agency Burrell Communications Group.[2] McDonald's and Coca-Cola were early clients.[5]

In 1999 he sold 49% of his firm to fund expansion,[7] and subsequently stepped aside, becoming chairman emeritus of the agency; Burrell was later inducted into the American Advertising Federation Hall of Fame.[8] He also authored two books, Brainwashed: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority[9] and Brainwashed: Erasing the Myth of Black Inferiority.[10][3]

One post-retirement recognition of his professional accomplishments came in 2017 from The One Club.[11]

Personal

He and his wife Madeleine Moore Burrell live in Miami. Burrell has donated to and benefitted from Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind since being diagnosed with macular degeneration.[2]

References

  1. ^ "Thomas J. Burrell. (1939-)". Advertising Age. March 29, 1999.
  2. ^ a b c d "Burrell, Thomas J. 1939–". Encyclopedia.com. May 17, 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Tom Burrell, pioneering ad executive, selling South Loop condo". Crain's Chicago Business. April 6, 2018.
  4. ^ a b Adrienne W. Fawcett (June 3, 1996). "Perseverance pays dividend at $128 million Burrell shop". Advertising Age. pp. C2, C4, C6.
  5. ^ a b Daniel Hautzinger (June 28, 2018). "How Tom Burrell Convinced Corporations That 'Black People Are Not Dark-Skinned White People'". WTTW.
  6. ^ "Burrell at 25". Advertising Age. June 3, 1996. p. C1.
  7. ^ "Publicis takes stake in Burrell". Advertising Age. June 2, 1999. Chairman-CEO Thomas Burrell will own 43% of the agency, and executives will own the remaining 8%.
  8. ^ "Members, Advertising Hall of Fame".
  9. ^ Tom Burrell (2010). Brainwashed: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority. National Geographic Books. ISBN 978-1-4019-2592-5.
  10. ^ Tom Burrell (September 2009). Brainwashed: Erasing the Myth of Black Inferiority. Hay House, Incorporated. ISBN 978-1-4019-2591-8.
  11. ^ Lewis Lazare (September 20, 2017). "Chicago ad man Tom Burrell makes history with a top honor". BizJournals (Chicago).


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