Merger Gives Reilly Size, Hoffman York Location

The tough economics of being a small shop in a big city led to Tom Reilly Advertising’s merger with Hoffman York.

Both shops found themselves running up against obstacles to growth. Evanston, Ill.-based Reilly was too small, and Hoffman York couldn’t break into the Chicago market from its Milwaukee base, executives said.

“We’d be pulled aside after reviews and be told, ‘We have headquarters in Chicago, you think we’re going to hire a Milwaukee agency?’ ” said Tom Jordan, president and executive creative director at Hoffman York.

Reilly founder Tom Reilly said of his shop, “We’ve been through so many creative pitches where we’d give the best presentation, but the guy would say, ‘We can’t go with a 15-person agency.’