The Richards Group

The Richards Group
TRG
Company typePrivate
IndustryAdvertising
Founded1976
FounderStan Richards
Headquarters
Dallas, Texas
,
United States
Number of employees
100+
Websitetrg.agency

The Richards Group, now known as TRG, is an advertising agency in Dallas, Texas. The company was recognized as an Adweek Agency of the Year late last century.[1] TRG’s “We’ll leave the light on for you” radio campaign for Motel 6 was named one of the “Top 100 Ad Campaigns in American History” by Ad Age magazine before the agency lost the business due to a racism scandal.[2] Its “Farmer” TV ad for Ram Trucks was one of the highest-scoring Super Bowl spots in USA Today’s 2013 “Ad Meter” ranking. The Chick-fil-A cows created by TRG were inducted into the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame in 2007.[3]

In October 2020, following racist comments made by the agency's founder, Stan Richards, the company lost two of its longtime clients, Motel 6 (34 years) and Home Depot[4] (25 years); other clients also decided to leave the firm, including Keurig Dr Pepper,[5] the brewers of Shiner Bock beer[6] and grocery chain H-E-B.[7] Richards (who had recently delegated most day-to-day management of the firm to his senior creative directors as part of a previously announced succession plan[8]) resigned from the firm soon thereafter.[9][10]

The agency handled advertising, public relations, and promotions for clients, in addition to sports/entertainment marketing for colleges and universities.[11]

In 2022, the agency changed its name to TRG in an attempt to distance itself from Stan Richards, and to signal a change in direction.[12] The agency moved after Stan Richards and Scot Dykema, the manager of a partnership called SBR Holdings, which owned the building, sold it to a group of commercial real estate investors.[13]

  1. ^ Charski, Mindy (20 January 2003). "Southwest Agency of the Year 2002: The Richards Group". Adweek. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  2. ^ "AD AGE ADVERTISING CENTURY: TOP 100 CAMPAIGNS". Ad Age. AdAge. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  3. ^ "Madison Avenue Walk of Fame Icon Winners - 2007". Pop Icon. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  4. ^ "Home Depot breaks with Richards Group following founder's racist remarks". Ad Age. 2020-10-14. Retrieved 2023-01-13.
  5. ^ Smiley, Minda (October 15, 2020). "Keurig Dr Pepper and H-E-B Cut Ties With The Richards Group". Adweek. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  6. ^ Santana, Steven (October 22, 2020). "Shiner Bock brewer fires Richards Group as fallout continues over racist remarks". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  7. ^ Parton, Mitchell (October 16, 2020). "H-E-B cuts ties with advertising firm after founder's racist remarks". San Antonio Business Journal. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  8. ^ Ayers, Rebecca (December 23, 2019). "The Richards Group founder shares succession plan". Dallas Business Journal. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  9. ^ Hunter, Glenn (2020-10-16). "After Offensive Comments, Stan Richards Leaves His Dallas Ad Agency". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  10. ^ DiFurio, Dom (2020-10-15). "'I am firing myself': Stan Richards exits namesake Dallas advertising firm over 'too Black' remarks". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved 2021-10-08.
  11. ^ "Chick-fil-A cows, Motel 6's Tom Bodett lift Dallas' Stan Richards to ad hall of fame". Dallas News. 2017-05-04. Retrieved 2023-11-27.
  12. ^ Bonilla, Brian (January 13, 2022). "THE RICHARDS GROUP IS CHANGING ITS NAME TO TRG, DISTANCING ITSELF FROM FOUNDER STAN RICHARDS".
  13. ^ "Richards Group's Uptown Dallas tower is sold". Dallas News. 2022-01-06. Retrieved 2024-01-09.