In a city where the big guns in the banking world, including Chase (NYSE: JPM) , BMO Harris (NASDAQ: BMO) and Bank of America (NYSE: BAC), all are aggressive marketers, smaller financial institutions run the real risk of simply being forgotten or ignored by many consumers if they opt not to advertise in the marketplace.

So perhaps recognizing the need to be out there with a message, First Midwest earlier this year tapped Schafer Condon Carter/Chicago to develop a new advertising strategy for the financial institution.

Read the story here >>

There was a big risk in Schafer Condon Carter’s first ad campaign for the Chicago Cubs.

After the team chose the “Committed” concept in December out of a half-dozen options, SCC set out to find a handful of the diehards who would be the centerpiece of the project — taking at least part of the campaign’s content out of its hands.

Read the full article >>

Ah yes. Let’s hear it for the authentically-colorful lives of totally-committed, diehard Chicago Cubs fans. They’re the ones a new Cubs TV ad campaign from Schafer Condon Carter/Chicago is designed to extol.

The first of three new TV spots could break as early as Thursday if the team is successful in securing last-minute air time during the March Madness telecasts. But the new TV campaign will debut no later than April 1, when the 2013 season gets underway.

The new TV commercials with the tagline “Committed” may not satisfy those Cubs supporters who like their advertising messages loud and in your face. Each of the three new TV spots that will be posted today at the Cubs Website spotlights Cubs fans in a way that is more about charm and less about boisterousness.

But in each spot, we learn about some of the true believers and their undying devotion to a baseball team that hasn’t won a World Series in over a century. And rest assured, there will be plenty of very surprised — and thrilled — people in the Cubs kingdom if it were to happen this year.

Alison Miller, Cubs senior director of marketing, said in an interview that the campaign aims to talk about commitment on both sides of the equation. “In these ads, we’re talking about fans’ commitment to the team and the team’s commitment to winning a World Series,” explained Miller.

Miller said she and the SCC ad agency wanted to produce a campaign with a genuinely authentic ring to it. “In these spots, viewers will see real fans telling real stories,” noted Miller.

The most delightful of the new TV spots introduces viewers to two members of the Weiler family — father Adam and son Henry, who at a very tender age apparently found himself living in a house divided.

Adam is a Cubs fan, while Henry’s mother (whom we never see) roots for the Milwaukee Brewers. But Adam realizes late one evening as Henry is singing “Take Me Out To the Ballpark” that he may have finally won over Henry to his side. The kid is adorable, which makes the commercial impossible to resist no matter your take on the Cubs.

Then there’s the spot about Jessi and Jeff Galbraith, a newly-married couple who live in Indianapolis, but love the Cubs. They have surrounded themselves in their first apartment with an array of Cubs-related stuff, including dirt from Wrigley Field, a Cubs trash can and a toaster that produces toast with the Cubs logo.

As the Galbraiths tell us how the Cubs helped them establish a bond that grew into love and then marriage, we learn just how much true passion for the Cubs can meaningfully impact the rest of people’s lives.

The final commercial paints a portrait in words and images of one David Eagan, a nightclub bouncer who lives on Chicago’s south side, where the Chicago White Sox rule the baseball turf. But with the Cubs logo and Ron Santo’s autograph emblazoned on his shaved head, Eagan has, with great effort, survived as a Cubs loyalist. By the time this spot has ended, viewers will have no doubt Eagan is a fully-committed Cubs fan.

Clearly, the powers-that-be within Cubs management are counting on these TV commercials to rev up Cubs fans far and wide and, hopefully, get them out to the ballpark this season. An alarming number of empty seats were visible at many games last year as a poor season wore on and on.

At the very least, these TV commercials will serve as a reminder of what has kept so many Cubs fans stoked up for decades — despite the team’s losing ways.

Miller said additional TV spots coming later in the season will focus on some of the Cubs players and more of the team’s passionate supporters.

View the spots at cubs.com

CAMPAIGN HONORS COMMITMENT OF CHICAGO CUBS FANS AND THE
ORGANIZATION’S COMMITMENT TO BUILDING A WORLD SERIES CHAMPION

Thursday, March 7, 2013

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs and Schafer Condon Carter (SCC) have launched a new marketing campaign that honors the unrivaled dedication of Chicago Cubs fans and the team’s commitment to ultimately reward the most loyal fans in sports with a World Series Championship.

The “Committed” campaign launches in conjunction with the beginning of Cubs single game ticket sales this Friday at 10 a.m. CST. Creative spots feature authentic stories from actual Cubs fans, including Jeff and Jessi Galbraith, a couple from Indianapolis who got engaged at Wrigley Field; Adam Weiler of Chicago, who triumphed over his wife’s efforts to raise their son as a Brewers fan; and David Eagan, a South Side security guard who proudly sports a tattoo of a Cubs logo and Ron Santo’s signature on the back of his head.

Various print, online, radio and out-of-home advertisements will begin appearing in the Chicagoland market this week, including CTA Red Line, Blue Line and Brown Line platforms, and billboards on major highways and streets throughout the city. Starting in April, a second promotional phase will include television spots illustrating fan and player commitments to the Chicago Cubs, as well as an online and social media campaign inviting fans worldwide to share their stories through videos, photos or essays. Michael Walters Advertising serves as the team’s media buying agency for the campaign.

“The Chicago Cubs and Cubs fans are solidly committed to each other as we embark on the most remarkable journey in all of sports – winning a World Series at Wrigley Field,” said Alison Miller, senior director of marketing, Chicago Cubs. “This campaign showcases the emotional connection of our fans who are part of that journey, and the Cubs’ commitment to building a championship-caliber organization from top to bottom.”

“This has been a dream assignment for our agency,” said David Selby, president and managing partner of SCC.  “The emotional relationship that exists between the Cubs and their fans is truly unique, and our campaign celebrates this mutual commitment by telling the remarkable stories of real fans with humanity, humor and authenticity.“

The “Committed” campaign marks the second creative project with the team for SCC, who helped launch the Cubs Holiday Ticket Pack using Chicago Cubs players in holiday-themed advertisements.

CHICAGO (January 10, 2013) – “Something special is happening at SCC,” said president and managing partner David Selby as he announced two new executive creative directors and two creative directors at the agency this week.  All four members of the creative leadership have been with the agency for some time.  All four have been instrumental in the incredible growth of the agency over the last 12-18 months.

SCC just closed a 2012 to remember according Selby.  SCC:  Won 11 new accounts; Completed its 23rd straight year of profitable revenue growth (up 25 percent YOY); Bought, rehabbed and dedicated (in a personal appearance by Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel) its new headquarters, a four-story landmark building in the West Loop; Hired 15 new people (85 total FTE’s); Bought a majority interest in, and re-launched the Uncle Dougie’s brand of clean-label barbecue sauces, marinades and Bloody Mary mixes distributed through Whole Foods Market and other premium retail stores.

Hebson and Martineau Promoted to Executive Creative Directors

Denny Hebson and Suzanne Martineau were promoted to Executive Creative Directors and will be jointly responsible for the Creative Department at SCC.  “Denny and Suzanne have done a masterful job leading the development of our creative product for the past few years,” said Selby.

“Their collaborative, engaged, and passionate styles complement one another and inspire trust both internally and with our clients,” said Selby.  Both Hebson and Martineau are members of SCC’s Leadership Team that guides the overall operation of the agency.  “Denny and Suzanne will divide creative leadership for overall client responsibilities,” according to Selby.

Sone and Dorich Named Creative Directors

Ron Sone, a writer, and Michael Dorich, an art director, were both promoted to Creative Director.  Sone has been with SCC for 14 years over two stints.  Before joining SCC two years ago Michael Dorich spent several years with the Chicago Creative Partnership and Leo Burnett.  “Ron and Michael have made numerous important contributions to our business and will excel in helping to take our creative product to the next level,” said Selby.

About Schafer Condon Carter

Schafer Condon Carter is widely recognized as one of the top independent advertising agencies
in the United States. SCC has built its success by challenging conventional approaches to
marketing and delivering a tightly orchestrated, fully integrated brand vision for its clients across
an infinite set of consumer touch points. A simple mission drives the agency’s entrepreneurial
spirit and aggressive, growth-oriented culture: “Think Again.” SCC’s client roster includes:
Allen Edmonds, Beam Global Spirits, Campbell Soup Co., Chicago Cubs, ConAgra Foods, Giordano’s, John Morrell Food Group, Land O’Lakes, National Pork Board, Procter & Gamble, Rotary International, Solo Cup and Terlato. The agency’s wholly owned network includes SCC|Public Relations and SCC|Digital.

“SCC’s understanding and passion for our business and brand,” drove the bank’s decision

CHICAGO (January 8, 2012) – Mark Sander, President and Chief Operating Officer of First Midwest Bank today announced the selection of SCC as the agency of record for its retail, commercial and wealth management businesses. Sander said, “Throughout the agency evaluation and review process, SCC consistently demonstrated a great sense of who we are, how our culture sets us apart in the marketplace and what we intend to accomplish throughout this region.”

SCC will be responsible for strategic brand planning and identity, advertising, digital & social media, PR and merchandising for First Midwest Bank. Brian O’Meara, Executive Vice President and Director of Marketing, will lead the bank’s relationship with SCC. “All of us on the bank’s management team believe that SCC is a great fit for our bank. They understand our organization and we have confidence in their ability to help us consistently grow our lines of business.” The bank plans to launch its new marketing campaign early this year according to O’Meara.

“We’re very excited to be part of the First Midwest Bank business team,” said David Selby, President of SCC. “Its customers really believe in it. Its customer satisfaction levels outpace every other bank in Chicago, large and small. Its reputation for community service is excellent. So, while other banks continue to look for ways to add value to their customer relationships, we believe First Midwest will experience tremendous growth across its businesses in the next few years.”

First Midwest Bank, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Itasca-based First Midwest Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: FMBI) is the premier relationship-based banking franchise in the dynamic Chicagoland banking market with approximately $8.2 billion in assets. As one of the Chicago metropolitan area’s largest independent bank holding companies, First Midwest provides the full range of business, retail banking and wealth management services through some 95 offices located in communities in metropolitan Chicago, northwest Indiana, central and western Illinois, and eastern Iowa. First Midwest has been recognized for three straight years as a Chicago Tribune Top Workplace. Additionally, Forbes has recognized First Midwest as one of America’s Most Trustworthy Companies for 2012.