SPOTLIGHT: Campbell Mithun

Spotlight on Minneapolis Agencies continues with the source of my paycheck: Campbell Mithun. CM occupies the Campbell Mithun Tower (already you know we're a big deal!) on the southern edge of downtown. In terms of revenue, we are the biggest agency in Minneapolis and the 31st biggest in the US.

2008 was a successful year in a tough economy. New business wins include Famous Footwear, Supervalu, Syngenta seeds division, more of the Toro account, and Schwan Food Company. Other clients include Land O' Lakes, General Mills, H&R Block, The Hartford insurance, National City Bank, and Johnsonville.

Call me biased, but I think CM's media department is the best in town. Campbell Mithun also includes media buying division Compass Point, run by the incredibly smart and friendly Dick Hurrelbrink. John Rash of The Rash Report calls CM home. Our media director, Earl Herzog, is pretty much a legend in Minneapolis media--in addition to teaching D and Erin's 8:00am media class.

I was privileged enough to come onboard Campbell Mithun during the 75th anniversary year. The agency has celebrated all year with agency-wide Twins games, a milk carton boat in the Aquatennial, and what's sure to be a phenomenal holiday party. And don't forget the swag (the other side has the Twins logo):


When CM rebranded itself in 2006, the seven tenets became the core of our identity. They express Ray Mithun's vision for the agency to stand apart through perseverence, smart strategies, and big ideas. Check out the full description of the tenets on the website, and check the sweet wall art here:

Sneak peek: our BRAND NEW painted walls! This yellow angel is recently completed and stretches up the wall next to the stairway that connects floors 26 and 27:

This angel, on floors 24-25, is still a work in progress:


Hippo?


Lobby:

Skylounge. Yes, those chairs are as awesomely comfortable as they look. I love the Foshay lights peeking into this picture:

Every elevator lobby has different colored lighting. The pink and blue ones are pretty trippy. 26's is green:

CM's interview is with EVP/Chief Growth Officer Don Kvam. I asked Don to talk about what sets Campbell Mithun apart from other agencies in town, what he thought were the reasons behind our success in 2008, and where we're headed in the future:

I definitely agree with his idea that we emphasize a balance of creativity with effectiveness. From planners discovering pioneering ideas to our media team "making everything talk," as Don put it, we rely heavily on research to make clients' brands succeed. In addition to the phenomenal media team members I already mentioned, that's a huge part of why Campbell Mithun was where I wanted to work after graduation.

Thanks again so much to Don for sitting down with me. Look for more agency spotlights coming soon from Yaybia!