This year marks the 50th anniversary of Minneapolis agency Carmichael Lynch, which began blowing out the candles last Friday with what looks like a St. Patrick’s Day-themed party that included, you know, the usual mix of fire-breathing and martinis. We’ve been told that the shindig, which took place in a Minneapolis restaurant called Solera and included 500 guests, some of whom participated in CL’s takeoff of The Gong Show called The O’Gong Show, is just the start of a year-long celebration that will include digital efforts, guerilla marketing and events.
Guess staying in business for half-a-century, despite major client shifts and the usual agency ups and downs, merits such a lengthy bash . We’re more intrigued, though, by the then-and-now shot of the original CL crew, striking a pose in 1962 and 2012. From l-r: Lee Lynch (co-founder), Sue Crolick, Jack Carmichael (co-founder) and Dave VanGieson.
You can check out a slideshow of some historical Carmichael Lynch images including notable ads from the past here.