When Leo Burnett launched his Chicago advertising agency in 1935, one of his first creative strokes was adding “Jolly” to the Green Giant’s moniker, turning the once-menacing mascot into a beloved household name.
Nearly 80 years later, his namesake agency is likewise giant and, according to its employees, jolly, where long hours and loyalty are rewarded with everything from free late-night pizzas to annual blowout parties.
Leo Burnett ranked No. 12 among large companies in the Tribune’s Top Workplaces list, as surveyed by WorkplaceDynamics, an Exton, Pa.-based consultancy.
Creative, collegial and competitive, Chicago’s largest ad agency has nearly 1,600 employees spread over 17 floors at the Leo Burnett Building, a granite, steel and glass skyscraper overlooking the Chicago River. The building at 35 W. Wacker Drive was designed by Leo Burnett to foster big ideas.
“We do believe that the best ideas come from people being together as a team, pulling together in a room, pushing and discussing and challenging,” said Rich Stoddart, 51, CEO of Leo Burnett North America. “We believe in having a building with a lot of people in it. We think there’s a benefit in that.”
Top clients include Allstate, Kellogg’s, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, Samsung and Coca-Cola. Leo Burnett divides into leadership teams based on those accounts, which creates the feel of a smaller workplace, while fostering healthy rivalries within the agency, according to Stoddart.
Common areas include a bar, meeting rooms and an adjacent gym, all a blisteringly fast elevator ride away. A food service brings in restaurant fare for lunch, and the agency springs for dinner every night, according to Stoddart.
“You’ll see four or five pizza deliveries every single night,” Stoddart said. “If there are people here, we’re going to feed them, because they might be here until midnight or 2 a.m., if that’s what it takes.”
While lunch and dinner provide daily interaction, it is “The Breakfast” that unites the agency in unabashed annual revelry. A holiday party held the first Friday in December, the day begins with breakfast at the Billy Goat Tavern. Executives then put on a theatrical performance at the Chicago Theatre, followed by a massive party in venues ranging from Soldier Field to the Alhambra Palace.
The agency organizes a number of other major annual employee events, such as an over-the-top version of “Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work” in April featuring everything from an acrobatic dog show to a Nintendo game room. Leo Burnett also recently hosted its first “Bring in Your Parents Day.”
In August, Leo Burnett celebrated its 79th anniversary by giving each employee $79 and the afternoon off.
Impromptu group activities are also encouraged. Recently, executive assistant Anne Beebe decided to cover every surface in Stoddart’s office with aluminum foil while he was out of town. Word spread, and she was joined by employees from distant floors, including a gleeful contingent from finance.
“They were so into it, and they loved being part of something like that because I don’t know how fun it is down in numbers,” Beebe said.
Stoddart’s reaction, caught on planted video cameras, is being edited for purposes unknown. While his initial response was to randomly pelt his longtime assistant with barrages from a Nerf gun, he has since saluted her “big idea,” and the esprit de corps it represents.
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“This business can be hard and it can be long hours and it can be demanding, but we really try to have fun here when we can,” Stoddart said.
Twitter @RobertChannick