News from Dick's Desk
Should we change our name?
From deep into the news wire:
By George! Fourth Great Escape tunnel to be excavated
By Stephen Robb BBC
News Stalag Luft III held more than 10,000 Allied prisoners of war Tom, Dick and Harry famously had their stories told in the film The Great Escape, but more is soon to be learned about a little-known fourth tunnel. This spring, a British team is due to excavate "George", at the site of the Stalag Luft III camp in Zagan, Poland.
The tunnel was built after the March 1944 escape by 76 Allied prisoners that is portrayed in the film starring Steve McQueen, but never used for an escape. Historian Dr Howard Tuck says George represents the camp's "final chapter". Dr Tuck, a project leader on the excavation, said it could be considered "the most dangerous tunnel of the war".
For much of World War II, prisoner escape attempts had been an accepted part of the conduct of the conflict. But after the Stalag Luft III escape in March 1944, Adolf Hitler personally ordered the execution of 50 of the escapees in order to deter other prisoners of war (POWs) from doing the same.
"The murder of the 50 sent shockwaves through the POW community," Dr Tuck says. "The Germans were in no mood to mess around. Those involved in engineering this tunnel or trying to escape were going to face the harshest consequences."
The 1963 film The Great Escape, which also starred Sir Richard Attenborough and James Coburn, ends with the caption: "This picture is dedicated to the fifty."
'Uber-secret' Dr Tuck believes George was begun in about September 1944, before the arrival of freezing conditions in winter that would have made digging impossible. Stalag Luft III held more than 10,000 RAF and US air force prisoners, and it is estimated about a third would have assisted in preparations for the Tom, Dick and Harry breakout. Far fewer would have worked on, or even known about George, Dr Tuck believes.
"This tunnel was uber-secret, this was another level of secrecy," he says, which partly explains why so little is known about the tunnel. "Those that actually knew about it are very thin on the ground."
But two or three veterans who were involved will join the excavation later this year, Dr Tuck says. It was a "contingency tunnel", he believes, built amid POWs' growing fear that the advance of the Russian army might prompt their German captors to turn on them. It could have been used to store possible weapons as well as items for an escape through the tunnel, if that was deemed necessary.
No escape ever took place because, in January 1945, the retreating German army forced thousands of POWs on the infamous "Long March" back to Germany in freezing conditions. About 200 men died. One veteran has told Dr Tuck he remembers putting a radio set in the tunnel, and the historian believes the excavation could also uncover forged documents, clothing, tools and food.
"This really is the final chapter in the history of the camp, and very, very little is known about it," says Dr Tuck.
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Meet Client Hall of Fame Inductees, Class of 2010
Tom, Dick & Harry announced today five new inductees to its Client Hall of Fame. Selected by agency management based on a unique excellence-to-work-with formula (ETWW), recipients of the distinction are forever immortalized in the TDH hallways and website.
“It’s quite an honor, at least in our eyes, because we’re picky,” explained Co-Managing Partner Don Brashears. “Sure we love all of our clients, but when a client takes a chance on a radical campaign, or hires us a second time, or makes the process extremely fun, those relationships are celebrated.”
This year’s winners are: Amy Rosen, Bally Total Fitness; Dr. Matt Kelleher, Premier Dermatology; Ernie Cox, Canyon Ranch Resorts; and Mike Valentine, Baxter
Credit Union.
Not all clients have to be currently active to receive the honor, though these five are. In fact, the agency has inducted former clients in the past.
“We decided against having a ceremonial banquet,” continued Brashears. “We send clients gift certificates so they can celebrate with their loved ones instead of agency people sucking up to them all night. Heck, we’re doing that enough just by having a Client Hall of Fame.”
Agency summer party another fine example of forced fun
Once again Tom, Dick & Harry employees were treated to an afternoon of obligatory bonding. The second annual “Forced Fun Summer Event” was held at Wrigley Field where the Cubs also pretended to like each other for a few hours by beating the Reds 8-5. Creative Partner David Yang, a diehard Cardinals fan, enjoyed the day despite the Cubs winning. “It was better than working. Not much, but better,” he said. “When it comes to interacting with coworkers away from the office, I subscribe to the Milton Bradley school–– less is more.” To the left is this year’s winning t-shirt design for the event by art director Taylor LeCroy.
TDH helps fight Crohn’s Disease
TDH employees gave their time, talent and tired feet to help support sufferers of Crohn’s disease, a chronic bowel disorder. Check out this cool t-shirt created by TDH and worn by walkers from the agency.
Barbie urges sunblock for kids’ fun in the sun
A new ad campaign from Tom, Dick & Harry for the Jack Marston II Fund hopes to make kids mindful of the need to use sunblock as a means of preventing melanoma.
The playful but pointed print ads use icons familiar to most kids—including Barbie and Ken and the “Star Wars” character Yoda—to remind youngsters that sun block is a good thing to use no matter who you are or how famous you may be. Each character in the various executions is shown with a nasty sunburn , coupled with simple sunblock advice.
The Jack Marston II Fund is named after a friend of Tom, Dick & Harry managing partner Greg Reifel, who died from melanoma last year. The fund has been selected as one of the 2005 LaSalle Bank Marathon’s associated charities.