Then a funny thing happened. Instead of paying his commission-based salary, Flair opted to lay Tom off. So begins the story of Jacobs Agency. In 1997, with no job, and a crying newborn at home, Tom opened our doors, relying on his propensity for innovative strategy, commitment to ‘creativity first,’ and joy of good whiskey as our guiding principles. And here we are. For over 20 years, Jacobs Agency has helped its clients succeed by delivering innovative creativity while Tom has been a consistent thought leader in the industry. He has appeared on major networks such as Bloomberg, WGN and NBC, and been featured in CMO.com and the Wall Street Journal. It wasn’t long before Susan’s knack for both strategy and client service paid major dividends. Her team’s work for Rotary International led to the “Humanity in Motion” campaign which successfully repositioned the brand for a younger target and ranked in the top 2% of all U.S. PSAs. She’d go on to help clients in just about every category there is—from Hospitality to CPG. She even mastered Options Trading to best serve her client, Chicago Board Options Exchange. The ensuing strategy she developed produced the industry’s most successful product launch to date. Susan’s commitment to deeply understanding our clients’ complex problems, along with her unwavering passion for Cubs baseball and unique artwork, make our team stronger—and cooler—every day.No one cares about advertising.
SO WE SPECIALIZE IN SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY.
Establishing purpose.
BECAUSE A FUNNY THING HAPPENS WHEN A BRAND IS GIVEN A VOICE.
People Listen.
LEADERSHIP
TOM
SUSAN
Not one to wade into anything, Tom began his career with a big splash when his innovative strategy plan helped Leo Burnett win the Cherry 7 Up business. His next stop was Flair Communications where his keen strategic eye would prove to make a major difference yet again. He transformed the shopper-focused company into a completely integrated, idea-driven agency. Not only did his efforts lead to an $80 million revenue increase over nine years, Tom also became the youngest VP in Flair’s history.
Susan is not your typical VP of Client Services. You can trace her unique perspective back to her college days where she was the only one in her graphic art classes to carry around a stack of business and finance books. After graduating, she combined the two and found her way into Advertising.