Thomas Burrell
#239402 Most Popular
About
Founder and chairman emeritus of the American advertising company, Burrell Communications Group. He is most notable for becoming one of the first African Americans to work in the advertising field, as well as the first African American to work in a Chicago advertising agency.
Before Fame
While attending high school, a teacher encouraged him to look into a career in advertising. He earned his degree from Roosevelt University, where he majored in English and minored in advertising.
Trivia
He coined the phrase "black people are not dark-skinned white people," urging advertisers to take notice of the fact that there were cultural and preferential details which differentiated African Americans from the standard all-white demographic, to which marketing companies typically advertised. This led to the notable change in advertising, from mass marketing to a more effective targeted-marketing technique.
Family Life
His father was the owner of a tavern and his mother worked at a beauty parlor. He has one daughter named Bonita with his wife Madeleine Moore Burrell.
Associated With
He is a member of the Advertising Hall of Fame, which also includes members such as Spike Lee and Michael J. Fox.
