The Richards Group

The Richards Group
TRG
Company typePrivate
IndustryAdvertising
Founded1976
FounderStan Richards
Headquarters
Dallas, Texas
,
United States
Number of employees
200+
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 in 1988, 1990, 1994, and 2002.[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.